DeKalb Schools administration went back to the drawing board and has come out with a new 2020-2021 school Calendar. The first semester ends before Christmas Break, the second semester ends in May and there are 9 furlough days (calendar reduction days).
The Board of Education will meet Monday July 20 to discuss and vote on this calendar.
DeKalb Schools is a jobs program. In a discussion about FY2021 Budget Considerations, the Board was told that the “foundation of that budget is to keep employees working…and not contribute to the unemployment rate.” Over 80% of the budget is salaries. Either the school district has to cut people and programs, or everybody has to take a haircut on their salaries. The school district is choosing furlough days for all employees.
LOSS – $27.5 million – DeKalb Schools Board of Education approved a settlement in the GOLD Case (Tax Shelter Annuity – TSA Case) for $117.5 million over a 5 year period. First payment of $27.5 million is payable at the conclusion of the court approval process and expiration of the appeals deadline.
GAIN – $31 million – Local revenues are up. DeKalb Schools administration is recommending to the Board no change in the millage rate for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The school district is expected to collect $31 million more in local revenue this year than it did last year.
GAIN – $33 million – CARES Act – The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bulk of this money will be used to buy Chromebooks, cover infrastructure and sanitation needs and buy back 1 furlough day for all employees.
LOSS – $54 million – State revenues are down. The state is cutting the education budget by 10%. This will be a reduction of $54 million in state revenues.
LOSS – $10 million – With local revenues going up, DeKalb Schools will pay $10 million more for their Local Five Mill Share. The State Legislature built in the requirement that each school system taxes their district five mills, or five dollars for every 1000 dollars of property value. That money goes to Categorical Grants including the Equalization Grant. The idea is to provide money across Georgia for poor districts. Ironically, Gwinnett is considered the poorest district in the state and receives more Equalization Grant money than any other district.
$3,500,000 – Cost of 1 Calendar Day Restored for school-based personnel
$500,000 – Cost of 1 Calendar Day Restored for central office personnel
The typical 180 instruction days has been reduced to 174 days. The typical 190 work days has been reduced to 181 days. First day of school is Monday, Aug 17, 2020. Last day of school for students is May 20, 2021.
Calendars
2019-2020 Calendar
2018-2019 Calendar
2017-2018 Calendar
2016-2017 Calendar
2015-2016 Calendar
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
Vanessa,
Our contract is for school year. Our school year has ended. We are paid in arrears. That is why our first check with new salary is on Sept. 15.
I still dont understand why the start date was moved to August 17 and teachers still only get the 5 preplan days….I think these “furlough” days (ie. This teacher aint gettin paid so he aint working) would hurt less of we kept the original start date. By keeping the original start date, we keep needed breaks for teacher and students – I hear ya “your online you dont need breaks” people.
The point is: the only reason the start date was moved was because the county decided to take their sweet time ordering chromebooks for families that arent even going to use them anyway. The first few WEEKs are going to be a cluster anyway, so I think some kids who might actually do something can wait until August 26 to get a Chromebook.
PS. Has there been a standard set for local schools to keep track of who gets which computer? Theres are questions that could have been approached in May and June while the Board was puffyfooting around with crap Super candidates….
Best
Did the board even ask ONE teacher about calendar changes? I’ll bet the answer is a big fat NO. I’ll bet a great percentage would be willing to go to school into the first week of June to get fall and winter break time back. And, while we’re discussing the calendar, please don’t call our previous vacation days “furlough days” or “work reduction days.” Call it what it is- A PAY CUT! Y’all are robbing Peter to pay Peter.
After reading through updates on this post and reviewing news reports on yesterday’s board meeting, I’m still confused and concerned. As I look at the losses and gains listed here, it’s obvious that the district is paying for the settlement on the backs of its hard-working teachers. If it weren’t for the settlement, we’d probably break close to even. But listen teachers, that’s not your fault nor should you all have to pay for it. I foresee another lawsuit if this happens. Other districts don’t have to deal with a settlement and have managed their funds with fidelity through the years. DCSD needs to do what’s right here and use part of the $100 million emergency reserve, if needed, because a pandemic counts as an emergency situation. Other districts recognize this and are dipping into their reserves. Why not DCSD? Besides if schools are closed, that will save on daily operating costs. What’s the plan for all that savings? All in all, I’m just disgusted. When the DCSD was mismanaging all that money in the past, padding pockets and hiring their friends/family, they were adding all these non-essential positions that don’t even directly affect student learning. But because no one wants to cut back on these positions and trim the excess at the top, everyone must take a “haircut” on their salaries and sacrifice a step increase?! Wow, that says a lot. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, without teachers there isn’t a school district.
Will some jobs be repurposed? At my school secretaries, paras, ISS and the APs did not have anything to do virtually. Virtually, most of the work falls on the Teachers and department chairs. (high school). I am not for anyone losing a job, however the work load needs to be fair. There are many needs in virtual K-12 education.
We’re being told our report date is still 7/27, but the calendar says preplanning begins 8/10…. Any ideas as to what is accurate and why the other is inaccurate??
From my understanding and observation, paras were on vacation in the Spring and assume they will remain on a paid vacation. Utilize them in some format.
@Calendar,
The 07/27 /2020 date was the original start date. However, the board voted to moved the start date back with teachers starting on 08/10 and students starting on 08/17.
@Stan,
Thanks for always advocating for teachers. Can you please ask what will be the plan for paraprofessionals and other support personnel as it relates to virtual learning? Many of these employees did NOTHING during the last virtual learning.
Just something to consider…
Based on the amount it takes to buy back furlough days, it appears that the part of the budget that covers employee salaries has a very… interesting… break down. It costs the district $3,500,000 per day to staff all of the schools in the county. That’s the employees for 137 schools and centers. That’s an average of about $25, 547.45 per school. It costs the district $500,000 per day to fund the central office. That is the same as funding roughly 19.57 schools in the county. Why is the county office’s overhead cost so high? What is the direct impact that funding the central office to this degree has on the students?
Let’s face it, if we look at DCSD strictly as a business, through the lens of a business, then who are the customers that the business serves? The students and their parents are the customers. Who are the shareholders who should have a voice in this company? The taxpayers are. Keep in mind, in many companies, the shareholders are also employees because they often own shares in said company. Hmm… Aren’t there a lot of teachers who live in DeKalb who also work for DCSD? Yet… If DCSD was a business, investors would leave. Customers would stop buying into the goods and services. Why? The customer has no longer been given the priority. If the customer was given priority, then more consideration would be given to the individuals directly involved with the customers. Hmm… Doesn’t DCSD have a high rate of people who send their students to private schools versus sending students to the public school district? Aren’t the tax payers calling for more accountability, a budget that focuses more on the direct impact to students, and better care for those who are in direct contact with students? Hmm… Could it be that DCSD needs to re-evaluate their priorities to ensure that there aren’t redundant positions, competitive AND comparable pay for positions compared to other counties in the Metro area (including the pay for those in the county office), and only competent and experienced individuals filling all the positions in the district (especially those in the county office)?
@Done @Calendar
The board has ONLY voted on the start date for students-nothing else. The rest of the calendar has NOT been voted on yet-that includes start day for teachers.
I read about a lot of parents concerned that their students won’t be able to receive a fair education without face to face instruction. And I’ve read here about the concern about what paraprofessionals will be doing during virtual learning. Is it possible that the limited number of students can meets with willing assigned paraprofessionals to help them with their educational needs in nearly empty schools? With the low numbers, they can maintain a safe distance.
Just Saying and Veteran Teacher
Our AP had plenty of work to do during the spring virtual learning. Our secretaries, office people and media specialists all did what they could. Paras in our school asked to help out in some way and if no one took them up on an offer, they kept up virtually with the students they had been working with all year. Our ISS was very helpful too.
If your schools are different you should take it up with your schools and not use such a broad brush.
I’m assuming this second time around, with more planning in place and the experiences taken from the spring and summer, that all schools will use instructional support personnel with small groups and one on one virtual instruction as was done successfully during summer school.
First thanks to you and the board members that voted to place ISS employees back in the classroom and reconsideration of the furlough days and step increase. Please fight for no furlough days for teachers. As always whether we are working virtually or face to face teachers incur numerous expenses educating their students and running a classroom. Even in a virtual setting we will be required to set up a home office/classroom. Many of us will have to purchase or increase our internet capacity in order to have the necessary connectivity to reach our students. Items such as tripods for filming, etc will need to come from our personal funds. Other professions are not required to pay for the materials needed to perform their jobs. So as you make the decisions whether to take our hard earned and utilized pay away please consider what it takes for us to provide quality instruction.
In reference to the calendar, when the pandemic hit we were thrown into teaching virtually. Many of us were not as prepared as necessary to provide organized, quality instruction to students. We need the opportunity and time to plan with our colleagues. Good teaching doesn’t just appear out of thin air. Additionally from what we understand, technology will not be delivered to the county until the end of August. Devices will need to be delivered to schools, inventoried, barcoded, and then issued to students. This will take time. What good is beginning the school year before all students are in possession of a device? That seems very inequitable. Students and teachers shouldn’t be subjected to a piecemealed teaching and learning scenario. Come on. We have the opportunity to do better and to do this the right way. Beginning after Labor Day would be more prudent.
Lastly, taking away our Fall and Winter break isn’t desirable. Going that long without breaks will create burnout for students and teachers. Most staff would gladly extend the year past Memorial Day given that we’re starting later in exchange for needed breaks.
Please consider these points when voting on the calendar and budget.
This is just awesome.
Dekalb just gets better and better everyday.
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/dekalb-superintendent-finalist-school-board-breached-contract/7PHOB74L4FAV3AMG5NH2ZTCQVA/
Maybe someone should explain to Crew and his attorney that DeKalb does funny things with contracts. Teachers signed one copy of a contract in the Spring, but when it was sent back to us, the salary amount was changed for many of us (reflecting a lower amount), and our (electronic) signature was just copied over. Somehow, I think that breaks laws, too, though I haven’t heard anyone mention it on this blog.
Did this same thing happen to any other teachers reading this blog?
Oh my goodness
I just checked my March contract offer and then looked at finalized copy signed
By superintendent and emailed to me.
There is a $4,000 negative difference.
WTH
I’ll be doing some research and calling HR ASAP
Unacceptable,
They better watch out it could be another lawsuit.
On 6/24, I received my contract with Ramona Tyson’s signature on it that included my current salary. Because of the furlough days, does that make my contract null and void since I will be paid less than what is listed on the contract?
Georgia law provides that a letter of intent is not a legally binding contract (OCGA 20-2-211 (b)). Furthermore Georgia law requires that contracts shall be complete in all terms and conditions, including the amount of compensation to be paid during the ensuing school year (OCGA 20-2-211 (b)).
If the “Employment Contract” didn’t have the “the amount of compensation to be paid during the ensuing school year” at the time it was signed, I don’t see how it can be a legally binding contract.
Hello
Has anyone recieved communication from their principal or department telling them when they should report to work? I talked to my friends in Clayton and Cobb. Each of these school systems is adding an additional week of planning for the teachers. I spoke to my principal. He said a decision would not be made until after the BOE Meeting on Friday. Is this correct?
I’m pushing for more pre planning days. This far the administration isn’t keen on more planning days. Furthermore, they said they Wednesdays would be professional development days. We’ll see what they come out with for the Friday meeting.
Stan
My principal shared a document that shows that teachers will report to work Monday 7-27 (virtually). It shows 190 work days for teachers. Is this true? If so, how? I agree that teachers need more than one week of planning and have fought for that, but how is this possible given the current financial situation? I am afraid that teachers will get screwed in this scenario with doing more work and working more days for substantially less money. Where have they found the money for 2 additional weeks of planning, when just yesterday we were at 9 furlough days? I am afraid that teachers won’t be getting paid for days worked and they are going to furlough holidays that were non-paid anyways.
Is this information accurate?
@concerned teacher, can you send me that document to stanjester@gmail.com.
The teachers at our school also received an email this week indicating that our first day of work is next Monday, July 27. I am confused about the start day as this email seems to contradict the proposed calendar that indicates that teachers are supposed to start work on August 10th. What are the proposed start dates for 10 month employees and 11 month employees? I know that the board is still trying to finalize the budget and figure out the number of furlough days, but shouldn’t we at least know the start dates for each type of employee, and have a consistent message communicated to the principals ?
Thank you for all that you’ve done thus far in our behalf. Please express a few more points to the Board:
-Teachers need the extra planning days so that we can do a better job teaching virtually than we did in the Spring when we were thrown into the fire without the proper tools or training. It also makes no sense to go back just to say we’re back in school without all students having technology and access to the internet. Once devices are actually delivered to the schools and issued to actual children it is serves no purpose to say we are equitably teaching all students. We should not piecemeal our teaching and learning. Dekalb teachers and students deserve better. Starting school immediately after Labor Day when we have had sufficient time to plan and prepare for students and students have the tools in place that they need to be confident and successful is what will serve all of us well.
-Furlough days should be eliminated. Teachers no matter whether teaching face to face or virtually are already underpaid for all that they do for their students. We spend our own money to pay for materials to provide a quality educational experience for our students. As virtual teachers we will have to set up at home classrooms and offices, install and or upgrade our internet to accommodate the virtual meetings with our students, purchase tripods for filming, buy ink for printing, etc. Other professions don’t require their employees to pay for the materials needed to do their jobs. Only in education. Unacceptable.
-Lastly, please express that elimination of the Fall and Winter breaks will unnecessarily tore and stress both students and teachers. We will all need and deserve a break. Most of us wouldn’t mind extending the school year until after Memorial Day in exchange for those breaks. Just because we are working from home doesn’t mean that our jobs and responsibilities mean less to us.
Please express these concerns when considering the calendar and budget.
@Vanessa Thompson
The paras I know have done nothing since we shut down. I was not provided any IEPs or 504s while we were closed in the spring, and found out after the fact that there were students on my rosters unable to complete their work due to information I would have found in their IEPs/504s.
@LM. I sincerely apologize for the confusion. The students are showing up on the 17th. Teachers will start on the 10th. Please forward that email to stanjester@gmail.com. I’ll have the principals send out the correct information … as soon as I can.
Stan
Thank you for all that you do. You will really be missed. Stan, thank you for advocating for additional pre planning days. In any year that would be helpful. This year it is essential. Some of the pre planning that is being done in Clayton is training on conducting virtual lessons. The brand new teachers are going to have three weeks of planning time.
I have a family member with childen in the Gwinnett County School System. On July 7, 2020, she recieved an email from the school system discussing plans for the start of school. This was before the GCPS decided on all virtual learning. I copied the information about Pre Planning. I am not sure why we are not providing guidance for our staff.
GCS PrePlanning Information
Increase pre-planning time for teachers by adding five days. In addition to traditional pre-planning activities, this extended pre-planning period will allow time to:
orient all staff on COVID-19 prevention protocols for the classroom and school-at-large;
provide additional professional learning to support more effective digital instruction;
extend training in social-emotional and culturally responsive instruction;
support new GCPS employees as they join the district;
complete schedules for students and teachers to reflect needed instructional or logistical changes;
meet with families of students whose IEPs and 504 plans had annual reviews that were delayed due to school closures;
plan for virtual “Meet Your Teacher” and “Open House” events;
hold orientation meetings for new GCPS students choosing full-time digital instruction.
@Stan Jester
I have forwarded you the document that was shared by my principal.
Please look at the Cobb County Calendar and consider that as an option for us. The first to be cut are people on the school house level when there are District Level positions that should be considered. Whenever we return to school, it will be all hands on deck to ensure that kids are adhering to the many health guidelines as well as helping kids and staff transition back to being in a structured, classroom setting. While we will be working diligently with the kids and parents, many of the district level positions seem to duplicate another position with a different name at a much higher salary. I have yet to figure out what the Coordinator 3 position entails yet they don’t work with kids or parents and you can’t find them in a building but they are being paid 6 figure salaries! Why are we hiring and paying part-time counselors while we are learning virtually? When we return back to the buildings, maybe they can be rehired and continue working with the MTSS process since the ISS’ will return to the classrooms and the counselors will be working diligently on helping students with their SE needs.
I would like to point out the administrative rgulation for the school calendar – AEA-R(0)
“1. Obtaining suggestions regarding school calendar from employees, students, parents, and school-related organization.”
There have been two calendar proposals this month. Firstly, as Dr. Worley mentioned in the 7/13, there is no time given to review and discuss these documents. Also, there has been no oublic hearings on this calendar, nor will there be before the vote on Friday. Secondly, as a Dekalb teacher and parent, NOBODY has asked my suggestion. In all my years of education, teachers have been given the opportunity to vote on school calendars and we received no correspondents this summer regarding [presumptive] calendar changes.
Also, the instructional year has already been cut, so it can be cut a few more days-restore fall break and winter break. Since our pay is being cut and you have cut the first two weeks and taken away preplanning (and pay), just replace those with our pay-cut days, and dont touch other holidays.
POSTMARK: This does not satisfy the statue required of the administration as it relates to the school calendar.
Stan –
When you say Wednesdays are scheduled as professional development days, does that mean that kids won’t have school on those days? I’m confused.
Again, I say the school district needs to include Election Day as an off day! We traditionally get Election Day off in presidential election years. What better way to honor John Lewis than insuring employees have been given the time to VOTE.
I say the school district needs to include Election Day as an off day! We traditionally get Election Day off in presidential election years. What better way to honor John Lewis than insuring employees have been given the time to VOTE.
Hi Stan, I want to thank you for being transparent and communicating with us during the calendar decision process. Like others have said, you will be missed!
Will we be allowed to use our sick days if there are furlough days in the approved calendar? I have well over 50 sick days saved up and if I can use them on furlough days it would help a lot. I would be losing about $400 per month in salary if furlough days are approved. That’s a life changing amount of money. If I can use my sick days to replace any furlough days, it would help a lot. Teachers already make well below what we should for having bachelors and masters degrees, this would be a disaster for us.
Also, when we go back to the school building, we should get hazard pay added to our regular salary because we will be risking our lives every day. It’s sad that anyone voted/decided to decrease our pay when we already make so little. I wonder who decided to degrade us like this? As much as we do for the community and for as little as we make, it’s impossible to understand how we are treated by the same community we help everyday. Instead of being thanked, we are furloughed.
Stan,
At the meeting you requested the detailed budget we are used to seeing each year. Has that been posted for the public to see?
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/no-furloughs-for-teachers-in-cobb-schools-budget/YI52GV2EVZBZHJGTDONUJGGGYQ/
I sure hope they pay out our teacher settlement before they pay for Mr. Crew’s breach-of-contract suit. Like someone stated earlier, you just can’t make this stuff up!
STAN, THIS IS URGENT! Elementary Assistant Principals work 10 months. This means we report 5 days before teachers begin and 5 days afterwards. Since there was a change to the calendar, the district sis not adjust our start date. We are not supposed to report until August 3rd. However, we were told to report on the 20th, which is 3 weeks before teachers. This will mean that we will work 210 days instead of 200 days. I am bringing this up because you will have to pay Elementary School APIs for those extra 10 days. They are confusing us with Middle and High School APIs who work 11 months. They have reported already because they get paid for 11 months already. Most people in the district office are high school minded and they are not thinking. I already know of some that are contacting attorneys to recoup the 10 days. Just giving you a heads up.
@Dana, the teachers are paying for the board’s mishandling of the TRS funds! Although there are new members, the current board inherits the problems as well as the successes! I was told by a current board member that one of the reasons for the furlough days was because of the lawsuit! So we are paying for the first payment of the lawsuit! It is shameful and unethical! Bottom line the board needs to go into the reserves and not put this on the backs of the employees! Is this even legal!
Why am I being emailed this afternoon about reporting to work virtually on Monday when y’all voted on the calendar yet? Senseless and premeditated behavior like this is the reason why no one trusts DCSD and why we continue to have lawsuits!
@ Vanessa Thompson,
No. We are contracted for a specific number of days and we have already worked our contracted days for the 2019-2020 contract.
I’ve asked the superintendent and the administration why teachers are being told to report on 7/27 when the board pushed the start date back 2 weeks.. Thus far the response is … they are looking in to it. –Stan
Thank you for responding Stan. From an outsiders standpoint, it looks like information is being leaked from the inside on what they think will happen on Friday’s vote OR maybe y’all have unofficially decided and that is being relayed to principals. Regardless of whether information is true or not, it would be nice if Cheryl would send email updates to employees to avoid any confusion/gossip. I just don’t understand how so many principals are being given information that is supposedly wrong. Either people need to keep their mouth shut until things are finalized or share what is being proposed with the rest of the class. It’s not a good look for the board.
@Stan
Why not just implement a Sept start date for school with an end date in June? This way, there’s time to devise a plan and clearly communicate said plan to teachers/parents, provide adequate planning time for instructors, and ensure children will have their devices.
Yall keep saying end in June, but what you are not realizing is that 21-22 beguns the first week of August. No summer for 11- or 10-month staff…
@MUST end in May
You are correct, I’m not taking into account 21-22. I assumed if we changed this year’s, next year would also be adjusted. I agree, if we still report at the same time in 21-22, then we should end in May.
https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled-blog/state-may-impose-statewide-start-date-of-sept-8/O5WRRZX3EFCL5KKFPVQ3KYRURU/
So nice to see that Dan Drake was hired by APS– I hope he is more truthful with them than he was with DCSS.
It looks like the new proposal is only 5 furlough days (6 with one buyback from CARES Act funding), but the posted calendar action item is exactly the same as before with 9. Is the district waiting to see what the state board does with the proposed September 8 start date?
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/meetings/TempFolder/Meetings/FY2021%20DCSD%20TENTATIVE%20BUDGET%20-%20GF%20TSHEET_117441823xgcpioaxeda1ash50x131i.pdf
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=4054&MID=86966
How did they come up with $$ to keep ISS positions?
Just heard from a teacher at the rally today that while they are proposing 9 furlough days for teachers the central office staff has just twp? If so this is unfair and really spits in the face of the teachers. Let us remember who is actually in the classroom teaching the students.
And to cap it off….our furlough days are not our working days. They are furloughing our vacation….Do NOT pay the Gold Case off the backs of the teachers!
No one is traveling anywhere this year because of Covid, so all those travel expenses can go. All of them. Virtual meetings only.
I’ve been looking at the detailed budget all morning and I have several questions. Are we still writing curriculum? Why is that still a budget item? Salaries in the individual school budgets don’t reflect furlough days. Does that matter? Coordinator positions in each Regional office came under Dr. Green? What do they do? Are they necessary? I would have started cuts there before I cut anything related to a school building. How did ISS get caught in cuts but not Student support specialists? Especially a non-certified student support that I saw in one school. Should we be budgeting to attend conferences in any department this year? Just a few thoughts. I’m still working through it.
There are a lot of ways to slash that budget without furloughing teachers. Thanks for posting the budget, now we can see where the wasteful spending is. I’m sure Dekalb can figure out a way to cut expenses that do not affecting teachers, teaching or students.
@ Dekalb County parent- you have bad information- the budget docs show 6 furlough days across the board, with the potential to buy one back.
The calendar you’ve posted here for Board approval just doesn’t make sense and is fraudulent at best. Furlough days are listed during breaks. We are paid based on 190 work days…we are not paid during breaks…you are essentially telling us to work for FREE while cutting our pay.
Calendar – I have not actually counted the work days, but the calendar says 181 work days.
ISS – The board discussion and vote is tomorrow.
Just so everyone understands what this calendar is saying:
Where there is a furlough day, your vacation day has been taken away and it has become a workday. Now that it is a workday you are being furloughed.
My suggestion: put the furlough days at the beginning of the year, where contracts begin, since those days have already been taken away….
It looks like they took it down – this morning, I pulled the agenda item and they had the same calendar that wasn’t considered Monday morning. All that is left is board policy. If we are going down to 6 or 5 furlough days, the agenda item doesn’t recognize that. It still says there will be 181 work days.
Why are out-dated (5/26/2020) DCSD FY21 Report Dates and Pay Schedules being distributed by HR, regionals, and principals? Surely, no one is clear of anything at this point, no definite calendar/budget updates, no accurate communication, no continuity, no transparency, no nothing. Sigh, DeKalb…
Looking at the budget it seems strange to see the regional superintendents are getting raises and $10,000 for advanced degrees in most regions. Yet, we don’t have money for teachers and they must take furloughs…. Rethink priorities, DeKalb.
Why are 12 month employees allowed in the school buildings and not 10 month employees? Isn’t that being bias/unfair? Since the Pandemic we now realize who the essential people are. Let’s be fair across the board. Thanks!
Are they using the money from the furlough days to pay us for the court ordered payments for our retirement settlement? No other school system has furlough days. I’m trying to make this make sense.
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/meetings/TempFolder/Meetings/Proposed%202020-2021%20Calendar%20Option%20Revised%20_1174771au5tnmqcb05uxjd1zwyl2wee.pdf
@anonymous
That is pretty much it. The furlough days are a result of needing to pay the $27.5 million toward said TRS settlement.
@only 1 furlough day: There are actually 5 pay cut days, it just doesnt show it explicitly on here. Compared to the last calendar given, which had 9 pay cut days, there are 4 “additional” institute days. So they just took away 4 blue days from the old calendar – you choose which ones you want money taken away.
@stan: the county continues to roll out new information the night before a meeting. It was a good thing that I was up at 4 this morning to review it, but, once again, there has been no input from the community – and, no, holding signs across the street from where, I doubt, any body “important” is, is NOT community input. Thanks for your continued service in looking out for all stakeholders!
Stan (or anyone else who may know the answer), can you help me make sense of the new proposed calendar?
On Ms. Gevertz’s Facebook page, I found the following link and a PDF of the calendar. In the meeting itinerary, it lists the following info:
-185 contract days for teachers – 88 number of instructional days in first semester and 97 second semester
– 4-Day Professional Development Institute (August 5-7, 2020 and January 15, 2021)
According to a statement on Ms. Gevertz’s Facebook page, the central office staff has reduced the furloughs to 6 days also. With all of this information and knowing that teachers typically work 190 days, shouldn’t the calendar reflect a total of 184 work days for teachers instead of 189? Also, why weren’t the furloughs reflected on the calendar like before? I see a series of early release days, which totals 6, but those are not the same as furlough days right? I would hope if the county plans to cut teachers’ pay by six days, that would mean six full days off and not six half days that would still require teachers and students to be working. If the county is going to cut teachers pay, the least they could do is give entire work days off.
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=4054&MID=86966
Title 1 only pays teachers and paras. They also mentioned front line workers. so local school administrators, 12 month secretaries, APs and county office still have 5 or 6 reduction days?
“DeKalb school board approves $1.15 billion budget”
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/dekalb-school-board-approves-115-billion-budget/RBSLIAPDYJHIRAJI37ISJ7IIT4/
Please explain the PL days. Will we be paid our daily rate on those days or will it be at the $35 an hour rate.
In the July 25, 2020 email that the superintendent sent out today can someone school her that 10 month secretary/registrar start date is the same time as the assistant principals and head counselors? Did she forget to welcome us as well?Are we not important? What a blow! Was it done intentionally or just not knowing? We all are important! As John Lewis said see something, say something.
Has anyone found out how much the stipend will be for the teachers’ virtual training and whether or not those are mandatory?
I agree with you, Dekalb TaxPayer. As a parent in Dekalb, I’m appalled at the way our teachers are being treated. Furloughs when no other metro school did? Coincidentally when there’s a lawsuit to repay stealing from teachers in the past – with a payment for about the same amount as is “saved”? They’re robbing teachers to pay back teachers. And the “professional learning days” they’d probably have anyways, paid at a stipend instead of normal rate to obscure? It’s transparent.
The fund exists for times like these.
I watched the vote and I will not forget. I’m ready tocampaign hard on school board elections in favor of new candidates who are willing to fight for teachers. I, for one, do not want to drive good teachers out of Dekalb County because my kids still have many years to go. Choices like these lose us our best.
I have about a $3800 reduction in pay from last year. It will take me working another 3 years, after this year, to catch back up to my salary from last year. Whats’s going on? Thought we only had 1 furlough day. I understand the 3 furlough days were paid out of Title 1 money at a rate of $35 per day which is $280 a day. $280 times three is only $840 . I am still $2,960 short. Whats’s going on Dekalb? Furlough or no furlough this will be our schedule that next year will be based upon.
@stanjester …..Leave it to Dekalb….this is the most dishonest district. I busted my butt getting all that work done during preplanning days and I wasn’t even supposed to be at work. It appears that I’m not getting paid for them. I am beyond livid.