Unfortunately, this is just the “tip of the iceberg”, and the DCSS ship is crashing on a sea of highly paid non-teaching employees. Taking a look at one group of DCSS employees (Parent Center) shows how our number of and pay for non-teaching positions is way out of line with other counties. Rockdale County Schools (16,000 students) has similar demographics as DeKalb (98,000 students—6x as large) with 89% of Rockdale schools as Title 1 while DCSS has 69% of their schools as Title 1.
100% of Rockdale Title 1 Schools MADE AYP 2011
20% of DCSS Title 1 Schools MADE AYP 2011
Compare the Parent Center Personnel (Parental Involvement program required by NCLB for low income schools to boost student achievement) in numbers and salaries of Rockdale to DeKalb.
13 Rockdale Parent Center Personnel –
Cost to Rockdale – $263,000 a year (benefits included):
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $27,798.90
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $21,786.29
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $20,746.89
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $12,824.06
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $12,817.52
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $7,551.84
PARENT COORDINATOR $30,689.67
PARENT COORDINATOR $26,204.02
PARENT COORDINATOR $19,828.84
PARENT COORDINATOR $15,312.30
PARENT COORDINATOR $10,597.46
PARENT COORDINATOR $6,905.80
PARENT COORDINATOR $6,469.78
79 DeKalb Parent Center personnel –
Cost to DeKalb – $ 4,500,000 a year (benefits included):
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $109,740.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $67,343.63
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $62,682.44
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $61,021.74
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $49,267.39
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $28,022.50
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $27,406.33
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $26,104.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $25,760.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $24,715.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $22,995.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $22,605.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $20,677.50
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $17,710.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $17,370.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $10,530.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $97,134.60
PARENT COORDINATOR $81,337.76
PARENT COORDINATOR $76,000.10
PARENT COORDINATOR $74,222.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $71,276.25
PARENT COORDINATOR $70,596.62
PARENT COORDINATOR $69,245.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $66,713.50
PARENT COORDINATOR $65,074.64
PARENT COORDINATOR $64,465.58
PARENT COORDINATOR $64,138.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $62,467.12
PARENT COORDINATOR $62,145.61
PARENT COORDINATOR $61,768.50
PARENT COORDINATOR $61,691.38
PARENT COORDINATOR $61,451.13
PARENT COORDINATOR $61,196.61
PARENT COORDINATOR $60,877.50
PARENT COORDINATOR $60,461.04
PARENT COORDINATOR $60,334.61
PARENT COORDINATOR $59,761.79
PARENT COORDINATOR $59,388.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $59,088.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $57,797.50
PARENT COORDINATOR $57,652.25
PARENT COORDINATOR $57,150.67
PARENT COORDINATOR $55,629.51
PARENT COORDINATOR $54,806.92
PARENT COORDINATOR $54,529.15
PARENT COORDINATOR $54,032.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $53,479.91
PARENT COORDINATOR $53,035.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $52,773.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $52,752.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $52,426.07
PARENT COORDINATOR $51,421.46
PARENT COORDINATOR $51,206.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $50,223.91
PARENT COORDINATOR $49,876.90
PARENT COORDINATOR $49,420.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $49,408.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $48,106.75
PARENT COORDINATOR $46,070.40
PARENT COORDINATOR $42,956.37
PARENT COORDINATOR $42,028.60
PARENT COORDINATOR $40,830.60
PARENT COORDINATOR $40,615.77
PARENT COORDINATOR $39,956.44
PARENT COORDINATOR $39,661.47
PARENT COORDINATOR $39,280.89
PARENT COORDINATOR $39,255.51
PARENT COORDINATOR $39,100.11
PARENT COORDINATOR $37,888.55
PARENT COORDINATOR $29,942.55
PARENT COORDINATOR $29,866.43
PARENT COORDINATOR $29,714.18
PARENT COORDINATOR $28,827.50
PARENT COORDINATOR $18,098.75
PARENT COORDINATOR $14,385.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $13,025.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $6,426.00
PARENT COORDINATOR $5,411.37
PARENT COORDINATOR $2,160.00
Parent Centers are a favorite place for family and friends and former BOE member’s relatives. Clayton County Schools (50,000 students) also has similar demographics as DeKalb (98,000 students) with 100% of their schools as Title 1 while DCSS has 69% of their schools as Title 1.
55% of Clayton County Title 1 Schools MADE AYP 2011
20% of DCSS Title 1 Schools MADE AYP 2011
45 Clayton Schools Parent Center Personnel – Cost to Clayton – $1,700,000 a year (benefits included).
79 DeKalb Schools Parent Center Personnel – Cost to DeKalb – $4,500,000 a year (benefits included).
Here are the salaries for the Clayton Parent Family Services Coordinators (ALL are certified paraprofessionals). There are no Parent Coordinators:
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $39,712.84
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $38,926.18
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $38,926.18
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $38,738.70
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $38,629.32
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $38,516.86
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $38,248.76
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $38,158.77
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $35,901.04
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $35,702.88
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $35,389.91
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $34,419.32
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $34,407.66
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $34,205.16
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $34,162.44
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $34,019.76
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $33,719.56
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $33,552.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $33,486.04
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $33,265.54
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $32,566.04
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $32,509.44
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $32,120.64
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $31,937.15
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $31,705.65
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $31,669.33
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $31,348.04
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $31,027.04
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $30,530.14
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $30,397.04
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $30,304.12
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $30,288.84
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $28,730.68
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $28,559.70
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $28,499.62
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $28,188.00
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $27,974.01
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $27,517.75
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $25,157.22
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $25,157.22
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $24,807.42
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $19,204.38
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $16,088.54
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $14,286.02
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR $7,222.62
Other groups like MIS, Security, Instructional Coaches, Instructional Coordinator, and Staff Development – all non-teaching positions – need to be analyzed in terms of NUMBER of personnel as well as SALARY.
That audit can’t come soon enough.
What's weird is the disparity among the Family Services Coordinators... in one instance a disparity of almost $100,000.00!!!
ReplyDeleteThere is no rhyme or reason for these salary discrepancies...only corrupt hiring and payroll practices.
And teachers have no idea what their salaries are...they have no relation to the salary scale published on the website for the benefit, or the deception, of potential applicants for teaching jobs.
I'm gonna repost an earlier comment, cause my blood is boiling as hotly as it was when I first posted it:
ReplyDelete"What's troubling about the secretary position announcement:
-It happened under Dr. Atkinson's watch.
-Just as the audit begins, the hire will have taken place and gotten some lock against perhaps being nixed before it could have happened.
-The hire was to have been for Dr. Atkinson's own man as CIO.
-HR is obviously out of control. HR has processed all of Atkinson's appointments and has rigged the continuation of the those replaced as DCSS(D) employees. I'll be willing to guess that some of the big shots who have been replaced will remain beyond their K expirations in some capacity at DCSS(D). Jamie Wilson is and always has been unqualifed to run HR--Leadership Cert classes do not teach much about managing, hiring, and firing. Come on! HR Directors are usually highly qualified, well versed in regs, statutes, and case-law. HR training is usually highly intensive and highly regarded. And most HR Directors are required to have this training before they are hired or promoted to Director.
Back to the topic:
-Defenders of this hire contend that this was an Executive Assitant job-(excuse mon Francais) but BULLSHIT! It would have announced as such, and the requirements would have been much more stringent and specific--maybe even computer knowledge beyond MS Word.
-Was Walter Woods told by Atkinson to defend and explain the position? Did she then relent only after she realized the clamor in the press? I think that Get Schooled was tipped to this from a post here on Dekalb School Watch! We made a difference!!!!
-Kind of a side note, but Atkinson had to negotiate with a real teacher's union in Ohio. The contract placed some restraints on a supt that do not bind Atkinson in the wonderful "right-(?)-to- work" state of Georgia. Once she realizes how much more by the throat she has teachers here in Dekalb, she may not be so teacher- friendly. Teachers can't negotiate anything regarding their livelihoods or futures (SS contributions, anyone?) when they sign that contract of adhesion that Dekalb offers them every year.
A little long-winded, but pissed.
The dark before the dawn has yet to get here."
The lower salaries for the Parent Center staff in Dekalb are mostly PART TIME. Many qualified people would not waste time to apply for these positions because if you were not "connected", you would not get these positions or Intervention Prevention positions. Many have said that the salaries were not based on qualifications and experience but again, on how "connected" you were. That can certainly be verified through search of resumes and applications. For the firm that is evaluating these salaries, I would suggest spending a couple of hours with these and other highly paid staff and you will get the TRUE picture of how unqualified most are and how little work they actually do. It should not take a firm to see that what actually is happening does not match the job descriptions. Don't forget to look at the unreal number of secretaries in Title I whose duties could easily be consolidated.
ReplyDeleteGood Thing Splost passed. Even though it cannot pay for salaries, there is always a way around silly regulations for those motivated to game the system.
ReplyDeleteI have spent my entire career working in the school, and I love the day to day contact with the students. School staff members are on the front line each and every day. We must be ready for students, parents and the community. Most of us attend after school events to support our students. We are not only responsible for the education of our students but also their safety and well being. Supervision is very important. That becomes more and more difficult each year. Safety is a big issue. When schools are closed for holidays, my principal is required to go to the school and check the building. Imagine being the only person inside of large, empty building. How do you check it ?
ReplyDeleteSchool based clerical people often have more than one function.
We have no pre planning day. We are going to have to complete the first semester and be ready for the second. Most of us will work over the holiday to get that done. What we lose is the benefit of setting up our classrooms, working with our team members, checking our class list for accuracay and being available to answer questions from students and parents.
I never want us to get into a battle between "them' and 'us". There are positions in the DCSS that are not school based but are integral to the functioning of the school. There are many hard working people in all departments.
No school based people have been given raises. Our duties keep increasing , but our salaries decrease.
There are so many people that have been wounded by the actions of the past.
Someone is missing that point. Someone should have realized that based on the description of the job and the salary, it would be a problem. At the same time other jobs are posted for clerical positions that are no where near that salary.
Please pray for our students, schools, staff and system.
A couple questions--
ReplyDelete1. Whenever this audit is done, I wouldn't expect it to include delineation of who is "family" or "friend" but I wonder how much this blogging community can fill in those blanks?
2. Compared to Clayton & Rockdale, it seems like we could be spending $2.5-$3 million less on Family Services. Is my math wrong? Based on an average salary, how many teachers is that? Or how much could cuts to current teachers' compensation be restored?
I hate to say it, but I really do have a hunch that the good paying positions are only advertised to satisfy requirements imposed either as part of DCSS procedures or by the Federal government. Positions like these are already filled from the inside by a BOE or inside power player (e.g Edwards and Calloway) friend or family member or by one of the cronies or sorority sisters of others of the inside establishment.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if the company doing the audit on positions has been given any instructions not to audit certain person our positions. Waldo will not be touched
There is a less expensive way to manage the Parent Centers. Other counties do it and so should we. The Parent Centers are set up to promote parental involvement, a major factor in increasing student achievement in our low income schools. However, student achievement is decreasing in those schools so that rationale is not working.
ReplyDeleteWe should be looking at how other systems that are demographically similar to DCSS are handling their Parent Centers and adjust the number of personnel and pay scale. For example, if is less expensive to use paraprofessionals like Clayton County does, then that's what we should do. Most certainly we are not getting better results from our more expensive way of providing parental involvement.
Dr. Atkinson needs to revamp this entire cost center and plow that money back into the classrooms in the form of lower class sizes, Title 1 teachers directly instructing small groups of struggling students during the school day, and/or after school tutoring.
Parental involvement is very important. Let's do it in a more cost effective manner and in a way that produces academic progress for our students.
Ms. Roberts daughter and Dr. Callaway's daughter and several other family members of highly ranked DCSS administrators's children work in this department, but that is no reason to exempt this department from scrutiny. We cannot keep draining the classroom of resources to keep cost centers that are out of line with the marketplace intact.
Anonymous
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that most of the people in the positions of family services are those that were not able to pass the teacher certification tests. It is a well known fact in the DCSS. If the person had connections, or was part of the family and friend plan, they were put in these high paying positions. The irony is that many of them if not most, earn higher salaries than teachers with multiple degrees. The salaries that appear lower than average could most likely be explained by the fact they were new hires, and did not have a full salary for the year represented. Then again, most teachers have no idea what their actual salaries are. Many do not even know if it has been four or five years in which we have received raises. What we do know is that most of us actually bring home less money now due to a raise in all cost, and no raises in our salaries to meet these rising cost. This is a sad state for a professional to find him or herself in. Yet we sit back and watch the support staff continue to rake in higher salaries. It should be obvious that these events as well as numerous others have added to the overall dissatisfaction and stress of many DCSS Teachers.
There are also people who could not pass the certification test who are employed by DCSS as Pre-K coordinators. Their job is to monitor and support certified teachers in meeting the standards for the Pre-k program. How would they know, if one meets those standards? The Georgia Standards Commission has deemed them as unqualified to teach in the state of Georgia. Yet the DCSS views them as qualified to monitor the teaching effectiveness of certified teachers. How ridiculous is that? Apparently, rational thinking takes a back seat to the family and friends hiring practices at the DCSS.
I personally voted no for SPLOST and will continue to vote no for any bill that allows this system to reap monetary gains while continuing to engage in these shoddy practices. Someone encouraged up to pray, it will in fact take prayer and good sense to remedy this abysmal mess.
And just try to refer a parent to one of those Family Services Coordinator...you'll get a rudely-stated litany of what they CAN'T help with. And one of those "can't help with that" things might be a parent's question "how can I help my student study more effectively?" Should be right up their alley. But often, all you'll get is a referral to an outside agency--which the parent could have gotten on his/her own.
ReplyDeleteMost DeKalb parent center personnel are not certified in education. Clayton County parent center personnel are all certified paraprofessionals. Most of them or perhaps all of them have taught children in the classroom. How to help your children study is critical for any parental involvement. This department is under the Office of School Improvement. The Office of School Improvement has proved enormously ineffective in terms of student progress.
ReplyDeleteThe Office of School Improvement has reared it's ugly data again. Can anyone tell me why the person, who has over seen this department with horrible results, still works for DCSS(D?). Seems to me the data does not lie. Fewer Title 1 schools have made AYP now than before she was in charge. I would Hope Dr. Atkinson would say thank you very much it's time to move on. I might actually believe in Dr Atkinson, when Clew's crew is shown the door.
ReplyDeleteWalter Woods is so unimpressive...but of course he recently received a promotion.
ReplyDeleteHere's an easy way to put millions back into the classroom:
ReplyDeleteEliminate Audria Berry's Office of School Improvement. The current staff can go back into the classroom.
Re-evaluate the entire Parent Resource Center. Keep the ones where they are most needed, and hire retired teachers and a good hourly salary, no benefits. They are only needed for school days and a week or two to get ready.
Re-evaluate the entire DCSS School Police Dept. Hire retired police officers for elem and middle schools. Pay a good hourly salary, no benefits. They are only needed for school days and a week or two to get ready.
Re-evaluate the entire MIS Dept. Partner with GA Tech to completely audit every aspect of the department. Guaranteed GA Tech will find millions of ways to save while improving the service levels teachers currently receive from MIS, which is mostly pathetic.
And fire Ron Ramsey, Bob Moseley, Audria Berry, Morcease Beasely, and most of the entrenched dead weight of the Central Office, etc., etc., etc.
Lucky for Amy Power, Marshall Orson and the other Friends of DeKalb Education/Schools for SPLOST Fernabk-Coralwood crowd that this newest scandal happened after the SPLOST vote!!
ReplyDeleteWonder if Atkinson ever read the DA's indictment of Lewis and Pope, and who on her current staff went to the Bahamas with the married Lewis on DCSS p-card.
ReplyDelete@ Atlanta Media Guy
ReplyDelete"The Office of School Improvement has reared it's ugly data again."
I'm puzzled as to how the data could get worse. The Office of School Improvement under Audria Berry who has run this office for 7 years (2005 to present) has presided over the steepest decline in Title 1 school achievement in the metro area.
Only 20% of DCSS Title 1 schools made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2011 – down from 74% of DCSS Title 1 schools making Adequate Yearly Progress in 2009 (before strict test monitoring). What happened to our Title 1 schools under Dr. Berry?
Under Dr. Berry $10,000,000+ has been allocated for non-teaching Instructional Coaches ($100,000 each in salary and benefits).
Here is a list of Dr. Berry’s personal staff in the Office of School Improvement (NOT including benefits):
Data Entry Specialist $50,532
Executive Director $117,012
Coordinator $88,520
Parent Community Liaison Specialist $62,682
Coordinator $104,784
Assistant Director $90,084
Accounting Associate $52,861
Executive Administrative Assistant $51,561
Coordinator $68,005
Coordinator $92,592
Coordinator $102,732
Coordinator $80,815
Parent Community Liaison Specialist $67,343
Accounting Associate $52,384
Coordinator $104,784
Coordinator $94,980
Administrative Assistant $32,004
Director of DeKalb Graduates $115,308
Administrative Assistant $37,231
Parent Community Liaison Specialist $61,021
Director of DeKalb Graduates $109,740
Administrative Assistant $36,527
Coordinator $77,580
Coordinator $89,457
Administrative Assistant $26,198
$2,300,000+ in salary and benefits for 25 employees – approximately $100,000 per employee annually.
Close to $7,000,000 for the ineffective learning program America’s Choice.
$10,000,000+ for Instructional Coaches.
And not one teacher for struggling learners. Historically poor performance for Title I schools.
Someone needs to remind us of why Dr. Berry still has her job. Student achievement in our low income (Title 1) schools is the lowest in metro Atlanta.
Clearly Dr. Berry needs to be replaced with someone who can - well, actually improve our schools. Isn't that what the Office of School Improvement is supposed to do?
When are Central Office personnel going to be held accountable for poor decisions that negatively impact student achievement?
I'm a teacher with 10 years experience, a masters degree, an engineering degree and 10 years of engineering experience. I would get a raise if I applied for this secretary position, even at the bottom of the scale. Now, I agree that an administrative assistant has a difficult job and should be paid well, but don't post the position with GED and minimal experience. Post it as BS or BA required and 8 years experience at least. Its a Senior position and a degree should be required!
ReplyDelete@ Anon 9:19 The position already had a candidate. The posting was just a technicality that someone caught and exposed. I remember calling to get more information about the Title 1 Coach jobs, thinking that they were to help the kids and teachers, having been a Reading Coach in another state and loved watching the kids grow and develop skills, only to be laughed at by human resources when I called-literally. With the laughing and rudeness, I didn't waste my time to apply. I had no idea of the the salary scale or anything, as I had assumed that I wouldn't make any more money (coaches in other states are paid on the teacher scale), but wanted a change from the classroom and not being able to educate my students.
ReplyDeleteI hope and pray that the company doing the audit has NO CONNECTIONS to DCSS. I am fearful that with only one company applying for the job, that there is a connection there somewhere. The four years, I have lived and worked in DeKalb, I have come to realize that corruption is the name of the game. I am not putting anything in front of the this board, and am not holding my breath that we will get the results with the audit that we know that we should.
DeKalb Schools Human Resource Department should be publishing the salary schedules for ALL job categories. DCSS is the most opaque school system in metro Atlanta regarding employee salaries. Please note that DeKalb taxpayers can ONLY select to see the DCSS Teacher Salary Schedule.
ReplyDeleteDeKalb County Schools:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/administration/humanresources/salaryschedules.html
Now look at ALL of the other metro area school systems. Note the many salary schedules available to taxpayers online so they can compare their school system’s administrative and support salaries with other metro school systems. While a Compensation Audit is necessary, taxpayers should have access to the information that the auditors produce without having to file a Freedom of Information Act request. Taxpayers are the ones paying for the audit.
ALL of the other metro systems in Atlanta, detailed salary schedule information for admin and support personnel is published online for taxpayers. Look at some of the links below to compare the salary information that the other counties and cities in metro Atlanta provide taxpayers versus DeKalb Schools which supplies NO salary information on non-teaching employee salary schedules.
ReplyDeleteFulton County Schools:
https://portal.fultonschools.org/departments/Human_Resources/Pages/Salary_Schedules_10_11.aspx
Forsyth County Schools:
http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=474
Atlanta Public Schools:
http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=1172
Cobb County Schools:
http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/hr/compensation/schedules.aspx
Gwinnett County Schools:
http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/careers/careershr.nsf/010d64ffdfc63566852571dc0061d644/5d1dfad1cd332b0b852571e0006cb5c7?OpenDocument&0~Careers&6~QuickLinks
Decatur City Schools:
http://www.csdecatur.net/hr/salary-benefits
Clayton County Schools:
http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/administration/humanrsc/TeachSalSchd.asp
Rockdale County Schools:
http://portal.rockdale.k12.ga.us/about/fs/hr/employbenefits/Salary%20Schedules/Forms/Public%20View.aspx
Marietta City Schools:
https://hr.marietta-city.org/getfile.asp?type=5&id=0
DeKalb County Schools has an obligation to the taxpayers of DeKalb County to publish salary schedule information for all employees just like EVERY other metro school system. After all, taxpayers are paying the salaries of every employee in DeKalb County. This needs to be NOW – not later. Human Resources should have these salary schedules. It is a simple matter of uploading them to the DCSS website.
If Dr. Atkinson wants transparency, this is the place to start since salaries and benefits make up 90+% of DCSS expenditures.
While I questioned the procedures, integrity, and openness of Dr. Atkinson's appointment, I join the minority of the School Board in supporting her and wishing her well. It is obvious to the most casual observer that things are badly amiss in administration, especially central administration. E-SPLOST has passed and the taxpayers have provided and are providing generous funding. However, the administration needs to be given the attention that Priority 1 should receive. It needs to be cleaned up, right-sized, properly compensated, and rendered free of incompetence, nepotism, and lack of performance.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the job description and requirement for Parent Coordinators and Family Services Coordinator? What is the difference between the two job positions?
ReplyDeleteThe reason I ask deal with the fact that many of the people that were under Family Services Coordinator were moved over to Parent Coordinator.
Follow the numbers of job positions from 2008-2010:
2008 Family Services Coor 65
2009 Family Services Coor 78
2010 Family Services Coor 16
2008 Parent Coordinator 1
2009 Parent Coordinator 2
2010 Parent Coordinator 63
We need to compare the requirements of these two job positions to a Math and Science teacher.
We could help our students better by having after school tutorial classes in areas where our children are failing such as Math and Science instead of having people on the pay roll that are not proving themselves viable in helping our children to pass AYP.
With all of our legislators working with the "Carl Vinson Institute of Government" from the University og Georgia, why doesn't DCSS utilize them for internal audits and "Right Sizing" DCSS?
ReplyDeleteThis would seem LOGICAL?????
Why are we hiring a firm from out of state?
It will be interesting to "Connect the dots" to see who is related to who withihn the audit company.
I thought there had been conversation about using Georgia Tech, UGA, or Georgia State for a variety of audits including the one we just hired a DC firm to do. GaTech has civill engineering and computer science depts - I am sure they have the resources to do a transportation audit and an MIS audit. Governments and businesses in metro Atlanta routinely use the resources available at these institutions and the graduate students who are mentored by professors are always needing projects in their field of study.
ReplyDeleteI thought there had been conversation about using Georgia Tech, UGA, or Georgia State for a variety of audits including the one we just hired a DC firm to do. GaTech has civill engineering and computer science depts - I am sure they have the resources to do a transportation audit and an MIS audit. Governments and businesses in metro Atlanta routinely use the resources available at these institutions and the graduate students who are mentored by professors are always needing projects in their field of study.
ReplyDelete@anon 10:00
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought that was what Mrs. Tyson suggested early in her interim role.
The difference is in pay. If you factor out the first 4 highly paid personnel (3 of them are supervisors in Dr. Berrry's office and 1 of them is over the Prevention/Intervention group - Assistant Director of the Prevention/Intervention group makes $109,740 without including benefits), then the average pay for the remaining 12 personnel classified as Family Service Coordinators make around $24,000 each.
ReplyDeleteThe average pay for the Parent Coordinators (taking out those bottom 3 single digit personnel - obviously part timers), is $52,000+ a year.
Family Services Coordinators - $24,000 a year
Parent Coordinators - $52,000 a year
If you look at the 2007 Salary and Travel audit, you will find that there was only 1 Parent Coordinator making $18,621 (this same person now makes ), and taking out the same highly paid directors as above, you will see the average salary of the Family Coordinators was $43,000 not including benefits.
It looks like they moved most of the personnel to be Parent Coordinators and changed the salary schedule upwards.
Look at how Parent Center involvement program to improve student achievement in Title 1 schools has expanded in cost (including benefits):
ReplyDelete2007: $3,700,000+
2008: $3,800,000+
2009: $4,377,000+
2010: $4,500,000+
Look at the percentage of Title 1 schools making Adequate Yearly Progress:
2007: 63%
2008: 74%
2009: 52%
2010: 19%
More employees and a 23% increase in funding for the Parent Center group to IMPROVE student achievement in Title 1 schools and look at the steep DECLINE in student achievement in those schools. There is something very wrong with this picture and with this group/cost center.
Meanwhile, DCSS cut close to 600 teacher positions and funding for teachers who directly teach content to the students has gone down.
Is it any wonder that our percentage of Title 1 schools making Adequate Yearly progress is the lowest in the metro area?
Can anyone see how our "jobs and funding" process is upside down? Kind of like a mortgage that is "under water".
Doesn't the BOE ever look at these figures? They are a matter of public record and took me around 45 minutes to compile.
Here is the data on numbers of the Parent
Center personnel (taken from the Georgia Salary and Travel audit(:
2007: 1 Parent Coordinator and 71 Family Services employees
2008: 1 Parent Coordinator and 65 Family Services employees
2009: 2 Parent Coordinators and 78 Family Services Coordinators
2010: 63 Parent Coordinators and 16 Family Services Coordinators
And this is the department that is headed up by the woman who was very, very close to Crawford Lewis. Coincidence?
ReplyDelete"And this is the department that is headed up by the woman who was very, very close to Crawford Lewis. Coincidence?"
ReplyDeleteI don't see any relevance in that statement.
The consideration needs to be the data.
1. Is this program producing results
2. Is it being run as lean in funding as it could be run?
These are the two questions that need to be asked of every program and cost center. My understanding is that these are the questions Dr. Atkinson is asking.
I knew an executive secretary working for a high level DCSS administrator who made such a high salary. She earned every penny because she was in fact the brains behind the administrator. The secretary composed and wrote every memo, every directive, every email, every everything. This was necessary because the administrator could not think, speak or write proper English. So that may be why you have a secretarial position with such a high salary. How many more DCSS administrators need this back up to supplement their online degree is a great question for our new super.
ReplyDeleteWould this administrative assistant have worked for our former Director of Instruction and Curriculum who didn't know how to formulate a sentence but just a sermon?
ReplyDelete"I knew an executive secretary working for a high level DCSS administrator who made such a high salary. She earned every penny because she was in fact the brains behind the administrator. The secretary composed and wrote every memo, every directive, every email, every everything."
ReplyDeleteI'm not buying this argument. I used to work as a secretary and I wrote plenty of memos, letters, etc for my boss. I edited grant proposals and articles for publication. I kept track of schedules, organized luncheons, and meetings. I didn't make anywhere near $73,000.. I actually got a raise when I went to work as a teacher. An administrative secretary earning a $73,000 salary needs to have at least a two-year secretarial degree and more than five years of work experience. HR got this one wrong.
When you are earning a salary you don't really feel like you deserve, you better believe you are going to be extremely motivated to keep every secret, file every paper or shred any dang document that your boss tell you to - no questions asked. And you will do it with a big smile on your face, too! And you will tell everyone you know how brilliant your boss is and you will gladly protect your boss from everything from unwanted phone calls, to ensuring the right brand of toilet paper is kept stocked and stacked in the executive washroom, and you will gladly provide taxi service when the boss has too much to drink, or run out in the middle of the day in search of a particular brand of hardwood flooring from Italy that the boss needs a sample to look at because the redecorating of the White House, uh, I mean the Palace, must begin at once so that the common folk out there can "SEE" what great progress we are making! What a crock. We can only hope she is bringing in the replacements now so they can protect her like human shields when the audit is complete and heads have to roll. Ahhhhhh.... now that would be nice.
ReplyDeleteThat Peter Principal theory is so true. When people know they are overpaid, they will do anything to keep it that way. Pat Pope had such a secretary in Cointa Moody it appears. Cointa was even 'rewarded' with ample hours of 'overtime' - time she allegedly spent running personal errands for Pope (now Reid). Her salary bumped to over $90k with that overtime. And she was (IMHO) very unqualified. Therefore, she did as told.
ReplyDeleteOverpaying under-qualified people swings the door for corruption open wide.
How about a "blog pool" on the results of the audit? Like:
ReplyDeleteHow many administrators will be totally cut?
how much will be cut out of the administration budget?
How may of the sacred bunch
(relatives of present and past BOE members and the Edwards -Callawy group) will be affected downwardly?
No money bet
Keep the interest up.
Have a bit of fun
What will the auditors do about all of the people in the county that work at jobs that aren't classified at all? I work in the school house with teachers and students all day, every day. I serve in more of an administrative capacity than anything else but am paid as a teacher. As I am listed as teacher, the auditors won't even know about my position. Nobody in the county really even knows what I do all day long. They don't know that I spend my time helping teachers plan and execute rigorous and engaging lessons. They don't know that I work with students to make sure they are successful. They don't know that I design innovative teaching strategies that help every one in the building perform on a higher level. They don't know squat! When HR wants to know EVERY year why there are two teachers in our school in the same position, the administration has to tell them that I serve in a different capacity. They have failed to create a job description and I have been in my current position for six years!!!
ReplyDeleteIf this audit goes anything like the 2004 audit (well at least how it started) - they will have every single employee fill out a lengthy questionnaire describing your daily duties. Then they formulate job descriptions and pay scales according to market rates. (Teachers are state-generated rates.) You may be one of those rare people who actually do a job more challenging than what you are being paid to do... it sounds like you do what we would expect an instructional leader to do, but are classified as a classroom teacher.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-schools-to-search-1232283.html
ReplyDeleteDeKalb County School System is launching a national search for a new Chief Operations Officer for Georgia's third largest school district, after the retirement this week of Barbara Colman. She served as an officer with the district since the former COO Pat Reid, also known as Pat Reid, left the job amid allegations of in the ongoing criminal and civil cases also involving the district's former superintendent Crawford Lewis and alleged misspent money. No salary or timetable has been announced for when the district will fill the job.
"Pat Reid, also known as Pat Reid"
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty funny.
I watched the Board meeting today and was appalled when Dr. Atkinson said that she did not know how many employees had been affected by the RIF. The 45 employees in HR who are losing their jobs were told by Dr. Ward-Smith that Dr. Atkinson wanted all employees in HR positions to be eliminated. However, she did allow Dr. Ward-Smith to retain 12 employees, whom Dr. Smith deemed as "essential". Today Dr. Atkinson said that 77 employees were cut from central office so that must mean that over half are from HR of which six are administrators. Does she know that HR has been impacted by such a large number?
ReplyDelete