tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post2340846707728509572..comments2024-01-08T03:21:35.616-05:00Comments on DeKalb County School Watch: Latest blather on the indictmentsCerebrationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-23181289264869055002010-09-12T09:12:55.041-04:002010-09-12T09:12:55.041-04:00DCSS just doesn't get it. How does the admini...DCSS just doesn't get it. How does the administration intend to keep the public informed about the SACS Response, the single most important issue facing the District ever?<br /><br />If you want to see the detailed response, DCSS encourages you to file an Open Records Request, and pay $625 plus $14/hr for copying expenses for a copy of the filed document. Am I to assume this isn't already in electronic format and could be put on the web site or e-mailed for virtually nothing? Haven't the taxpayers already paid enough to the this thing put together in the first place.<br /><br />Follow this link to the DCSS web page description: <br />http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/sacs-casi-accreditation/dcss-response-to-sacs-casi-request-for-information-(2010-09-09).pdf<br /><br />DCSS's new improved Open and Transparent policy is as closed and opaque as ever.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-75513626302796708422010-08-11T13:35:04.724-04:002010-08-11T13:35:04.724-04:00I seem to remember that the state funding for grad...I seem to remember that the state funding for graduation coaches was cut, and DCSS has to pay them now. Check the budget debates from this past spring. The salaries were cut and the number of coaches was cut, but those remaining are still on the payroll.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-81491142178875129732010-08-09T22:42:02.484-04:002010-08-09T22:42:02.484-04:00@ Anonymous 12:05 pm
"48 non-teaching Graduat...@ Anonymous 12:05 pm<br />"48 non-teaching Graduation Coaches<br />costs around $3,500,000 in annual salary and benefits.....You don't know much about how education works. Graduation coaches are state mandated and funded positions. DCSS had no choice but to have them."<br /><br />I started teaching in a classroom in 1971 and finished as a teacher support employee so I do know something about education.<br /><br />Graduation coach funding was substantially cut by Perdue. Please reference how Whitfield County addressed this budget cut:<br />"An $8.6 million funding plunge spelled the end last year for Whitfield County's nine graduation coach posts, system spokesman Eric Beavers said.......After considering what was best for students, we chose to exchange the nine graduation coach positions for teaching positions to keep teachers in the classroom," he said. "We were able to place five of the nine graduation coaches in other positions throughout the district."<br /><br />http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/education-systems-institutions/13989557-1.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-43998718565606033412010-08-09T22:27:18.574-04:002010-08-09T22:27:18.574-04:00Click the words "today's AJC" in the...Click the words "today's AJC" in the original post and it will link you to the article. It's an old black and white photo. Click on it to see a larger version.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-40630350645728988082010-08-09T22:19:09.353-04:002010-08-09T22:19:09.353-04:00I never saw the cheerleader picture ... where was ...I never saw the cheerleader picture ... where was it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-26122055120795796722010-08-09T19:04:59.028-04:002010-08-09T19:04:59.028-04:00@ Anonymous 12:05
"You don't know much a...@ Anonymous 12:05<br /><br />"You don't know much about how education works. Graduation coaches are state mandated and funded positions. DCSS had no choice but to have them."<br /><br />I started teaching in a classroom in 1971 and finished as a teacher support employee so I do know a little bit about education.<br /><br />My information comes from reputable sources such as local and state websites and recognized news media, and I only post positions.<br /><br />I'm not "out to get" Graduation Coaches. I just think that the classroom is where our students spend 95% of their academic day, so cuts should come from the classroom only after as many cuts as possible to non-teaching positions. The BOE has given our superintendent the leeway to go to 36 students in high school math, social studies, science and Language Arts, and up to 39 students in the other subjects - a recipe for disaster for our students.<br /><br />I do not think we will find the public anxious for tax increases after the gross mismanagement of our school system dollars. <br /><br />Graduation coach funding was substantially cut by Perdue. Please reference how Whitfield County addressed this budget cut:<br />"An $8.6 million funding plunge spelled the end last year for Whitfield County's nine graduation coach posts, system spokesman Eric Beavers said......After considering what was best for students, we chose to exchange the nine graduation coach positions for teaching positions to keep teachers in the classroom," he said. "We were able to place five of the nine graduation coaches in other positions throughout the district."<br />http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/education-systems-institutions/13989557-1.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-49603360023206899682010-08-09T17:44:11.748-04:002010-08-09T17:44:11.748-04:00I think we need to hyphen Mrs. Tyson to Ramona Tys...I think we need to hyphen Mrs. Tyson to Ramona Tyson-Lewis. She probably still has him as #1 on her speed dial..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-1869008876193327762010-08-09T17:20:09.221-04:002010-08-09T17:20:09.221-04:00Title I funds could be used to hire extra teaching...Title I funds could be used to hire extra teaching staff. Smaller class sizes help struggling students. A good teacher doesn't need a scripted program to identify where a child needs help. She needs time to work with that student.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-81489079496943379062010-08-09T16:31:06.511-04:002010-08-09T16:31:06.511-04:00@ Anonymous 12:05
Post 2:
Why couldn't DCSS ...@ Anonymous 12:05 <br />Post 2:<br /><br />Why couldn't DCSS counselors take over some of the responsibilities of the Graduation Coaches? After all, teachers have been asked to take on more students and more responsibility. We have 267 counselors for 140+ schools. These counselors cost us $22,500,000 a year in salary and benefits. $84,269 per counselor versus the average teacher's pay of $65,000 (source: State Salary and Travel audit and DCSS Interim Superintendent proposed 2011 budget cut spreadsheet).<br /><br />Another area that is redundant (i.e. Social Workers and Counselors both perform these functions) is the Parent Resource Centers program. There are 73 employees staffing the Parent Resource Centers and they cost $4,500,000 in salary and benefits. One of the Center coordinators is the daughter of a BOE member - a touchy subject judging what happened on TV.<br /><br />MIS is another department that we do not get good value from. This department has 290 employees (although some lower paid schoolhouse employees were recently laid off) and costs around $19,000,000 a year in salary and benefits (around $65,000 per employee). This department gave us eSIS and SchoolNet. Consider that DELL does all the installations and major repairs for the computers and ActivBoards, and you have millions more in SPLOST funds.<br /><br />Let's also look at DCSS Security:<br />Gwinnett County Schools with 150,000 students to our 100,000 has 49 Security personnel for a cost of $2,500,000 in salary and benefits. This is an average of $51,000 per Security employee.<br /><br />DCSS has 218 Security employees at a cost of $12,500,000 in salary and benefits to serve 40 schools. This is an average of $57,300 per Security employee.<br /> <br />(source: State Salary and Travel audit)<br /><br />Please don't take my word for this. Look these figures up yourself by going to the website below and exporting the DCSS personnel compensation spreadsheet to an Excel document so you can sort, autosum and analyze these figures. The BOE our administration have these figures. <br />Now parents/taxpayers do too:<br />http://www.open.georgia.gov/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-56165999446838191462010-08-09T15:33:47.465-04:002010-08-09T15:33:47.465-04:00@ Teaching Science in DeKalb
I can't even imag...@ Teaching Science in DeKalb<br />I can't even imagine trying to run a lab with 36 students. That doesn't sound safe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-69197214774613733032010-08-09T14:06:43.764-04:002010-08-09T14:06:43.764-04:00Just saw the CBS 46 Zepora video. OMG!
Is it &qu...Just saw the CBS 46 Zepora video. OMG!<br /><br />Is it "I am going to slug you" or "Im gonna slug ya"???<br /><br />All I'm saying is Tom Bowen better step up on this one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-60941079283283422422010-08-09T13:06:16.075-04:002010-08-09T13:06:16.075-04:00Paul Womack is as crazy as Zepora:
http://www.myf...Paul Womack is as crazy as Zepora:<br /><br />http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/DeKalb-Schools-Face-Major-Challenges-20100809-am-sdAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-52881552901657439922010-08-09T12:55:28.358-04:002010-08-09T12:55:28.358-04:00Hey Anon 12:21 (or DCSS Central Office administrat...Hey Anon 12:21 (or DCSS Central Office administrator):<br /><br />Yes, we could save a ton of money but not spending Title 1 funds on Sh$% like America's Choice. Title 1 funds are allowed to be spent on a large variety of items, including computer labs. Principals should be allowed to have say in Title 1 spending, and they should be directed to schools instead of the Central Office.<br /><br />However, the Central Office mafia, Crawford Lewis, Ramona Tyson, Marcus Turk, Bob Moseley, Gloria Talley, etc. saw millions of federal dollars and decided to add to their power base. The last thing we needed were millions spent on America's Choice, the trip to California for AC traning, etc.<br /><br />Title 1 monies should and could be focused on spending in the schools. But our BOE allowed the Lewis administration to manipulate Title 1 to their own personal agenda's. It's no coincidence that DCSS spent millions on America's Choice after a top Central Office administrator was hired by AC.<br /><br />The Central Office is agressive with dismissing parents like myself who question the wasteful, massive, silly expenditures of Title 1. Guess what? The parents are almost always right. The Central Office and BOE would keep Title 1 spending completely out of the public purview if they could.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-37330458697286632152010-08-09T12:21:23.479-04:002010-08-09T12:21:23.479-04:00I think there are many way to trim. Thank you for ...I think there are many way to trim. Thank you for asking.<br /> Federal dollars , Title I, pays for America's choice and even if you didn't use it then it would be spent in some other formula way- so you can't "save money" by not having America's choice. <br /><br />One of the threelaws of Thermodynamics is that there is no free lunch in nature. The truth is that if we cut every wasted penny out of the budget, we'd still need more. The great American myth is that we can cut taxes and have more services. Let us cut ourselves into prosperity. <br />The way we fund our schools now has actually led to this mess we have. Our graduates become our leaders of tomorrow. Just as the leaders of today were produced by these underfunded schools. Teach for America takes only the best-none of whom are certified as teachers-and they produce the best results. Once we start really respecting education, pitch in, and stop complaing maybe we will return to being a nation where education matters rather than a nation obessed with Lindsay Lohan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-43016142441871885342010-08-09T12:05:10.772-04:002010-08-09T12:05:10.772-04:0048 non-teaching Graduation Coaches
costs around $3...48 non-teaching Graduation Coaches<br />costs around $3,500,000 in annual salary and benefits.<br /><br />You don't know much about how education works. Graduation coaches are state mandated and funded positions. DCSS had no choice but to have them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-67083177021456651972010-08-09T10:40:32.205-04:002010-08-09T10:40:32.205-04:00Thanks Anon 9:22! Let's keep the flow of infor...Thanks Anon 9:22! Let's keep the flow of information going!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-25673514064662554052010-08-09T09:22:30.983-04:002010-08-09T09:22:30.983-04:00@ Anonymous 6:37
Sources:
DCSS website
Georgia DO...@ Anonymous 6:37<br /><br />Sources:<br />DCSS website<br />Georgia DOE<br />State of Georgia Salary and Travel audit 2009<br /><br />All state and local information posted on the Internet by the various governmental bodies and departments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-36855075634121075542010-08-09T08:57:05.653-04:002010-08-09T08:57:05.653-04:00Effects on customer service? We don't have cu...Effects on customer service? We don't have customer service now, out of the central office. Emails go unanswered, we're called names for bringing up problems. We're threatened when we come with facts in hand about certain programs. So please DCSS needs to improve customer service, however, I think taxpayers would be happier if we did not see the nepotism and cronyism that runs rampant in our system.<br /><br />I can't wait to see the Channel 46 piece tonight, Reporter Wendy Saltzman needs to continue to ask the tough questions, even if she does get slugged by Zepora Roberts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-31320521389720302262010-08-09T08:52:41.719-04:002010-08-09T08:52:41.719-04:00The Central Office personnel cuts were minimal, at...The Central Office personnel cuts were minimal, at best! Plus, your comment about what do we do with the programs when we defund them. What are you talking about? If you don't fund them, you do not do them, sounds simple to me.<br /><br />We have so many programs at the DCSS, I guarantee you that the BOE can not describe half of them.<br /><br />We want responsible spending and we want any spending to be done for the classroom and the teachers. How hard is that to understand?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-50175267786307377792010-08-09T08:40:50.545-04:002010-08-09T08:40:50.545-04:00Good post Anon 11:59 PM. You summed up many of our...Good post Anon 11:59 PM. You summed up many of our discussions in one swift comment. <br /><br />Two points - Yes, we DEFINITELY want and need another audit. This is a great question to ask candidates - are you going to push for an audit to identify salary bloat?<br /><br />And the point we always maintain about America's Choice and other "supervisory" programs is that we think things worked better when that Title 1 money was spent on support teachers directly in the classroom. We think it's quite obvious that we need to use that money to offer double-time on reading and math to struggling students in Elementary and Middle schools. They are obviously not getting the early education they need, as we watch them crash and burn in high school.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-33823858901710419062010-08-09T08:07:35.242-04:002010-08-09T08:07:35.242-04:00Anon 11:59 put together a good list however...
*Y...Anon 11:59 put together a good list however...<br /><br />*Yes there is fat in the central office (and elsewhere in the district). Personnel cuts were made however citizens seem to want certain people cut instead of those deemed to be excess. As with any personnel cut, you get rid of the person but not the tasks they perform. What happens to those tasks, they go on the plates of employees that remain. More cuts are needed in this area but what impact will it have on customer service and employee productivty?<br /><br />*America's Choice is funded with federal tax dollars and does not come out of the DCSS operating budget. If you simply eliminated that program, what would you do to replace the resources you no longer have? What impact would that have on student learning unless you replaced it with something else? Your points about the value of the program may be right on but eliminating it and replacing it with something else could be a net zero with costs. Perhaps the Instructional Coaches could go into the schools to help with the student-teacher ratios and provide greater value.<br /><br />*Fernbank was brought up before and there was a storm of criticism on this blog about possible cuts to it. Being pragmatic, it seems as though it should be cut but how do you measure the true value Fernbank provides for DCSS and the surrounding community?<br /><br />*Most would agree that a good start would be to review the 2004 Ernst and Young independent Compensation and Classification audit however it is woefully outdated and needs to be performed again. A few years ago Dr. Lewis suggested performing this again at a cost of about $750,000 The Board at that time balked citing the expense. Surprising there was not an outcry from the community because they say it as an expense rather than investment. Can we say shortsighted???<br /><br />Long and short, there are institutional behaviors in DCSS that have much history. While many say they want change, when change can directly impact them, everyone begins screaming and complaining and justifying why there program/personnel/area should not be touched. The squeaky wheel is alive and well in DeKalb.<br /><br />We have the BOE we have because citizens are not engaged enough to want to make a difference and vote for people that can represent their interests. In most cases, it is easy to sit back and complain about what others should be doing. Let's see what the turnout will be in November. I'd like to be wrong on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-30792767893307091532010-08-09T07:49:17.098-04:002010-08-09T07:49:17.098-04:00Look at the top AJC DeKalb vent:
http://projects....Look at the top AJC DeKalb vent:<br /><br />http://projects.ajc.com/vent/metro/dekalb/2010/08/09/#949910<br /><br />"I'm Gonna Slug You" will live forever!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-63407563503342897162010-08-09T07:46:59.316-04:002010-08-09T07:46:59.316-04:00Nice list Anon. 11:59! I'm glad I read that t...Nice list Anon. 11:59! I'm glad I read that this morning instead of last night. That list would have given me nightmares.<br /><br />I love this program called America's Choice. Obama does not want anyone to have any choice! He defunded the schools in DC, that were making the difference. I am convinced that all the Dems want to do is fund their precious unions so at election time they can fund their campaigns.<br /><br />DCSS & BOE the gig is up! We're watching and WILL hold you accountable. Maybe we can take advice from Zepora and if you do raise our taxes to line your pockets we just might "Slug you" right out of office....<br /><br />Good grief! STOP THE SPENDING!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-50181605584988087612010-08-09T07:40:02.289-04:002010-08-09T07:40:02.289-04:00E-mail everyone you know and tell them to watch CB...E-mail everyone you know and tell them to watch CBS 46 at 11 pm tonight! Then check ebay for "I'm Gonna Slug You" t-shirts!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-52939518442262906282010-08-09T07:10:30.323-04:002010-08-09T07:10:30.323-04:00Thank you Anon 11:59!! Great summary of the waste...Thank you Anon 11:59!! Great summary of the waste and graft. It has NOTHING to do with the economy. It has EVERYTHING to do with the tens of millions the Lewis administration has spent on a bloated, overpaid non-teaching bureaucracy and ridiculous and unproductive mega-purchases such as America's Choice, eSIS, etc.<br /><br />Read that 11:59 post again, Anon 11:13 PM. Also, we have a much less productive and competent administration and staff because family, friends, sorority sisters/fraternity brothers, and New Birth Church members have been hired and promoted not because of merit, but because who they are and who they know. Jamal Edwards, Frankie Callaway and Yvonne Butler being examples No. 1, 2 and 3.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com