Rhee Tells Principals They’ll Be Losing Teachers
Yesterday, Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee dispatched letters to principals of DCPS schools informing them that their budgets next year stand to be cut, pending the D.C. Council's decision to put a hold on some $27 million due to concerns about possibly inflated enrollment projections. The letters included specific per-school figures on amount of money and number of teachers cut.
"As you know," the letter starts, "the DC City Council has proposed an amendment to set aside $27.5 million from the DCPS budget for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year.....In this smaller budget, the budget of [SCHOOL NAME] will be reduced by [DOLLAR AMOUNT], that is [NUMBER] teacher positions....I am hopeful that this situation can be rectified, however. We feel that the proposed amendment is based on inaccurate information, and we are working with Council in hopes that this can be corrected prior to the vote."
Here's the big question: Why would you cut the teachers first? Aren't there central-office savings to be reaped somewhere? Or is this just the most expedient way of fomenting outrage at the council's move?
4:08 pm
"the most expedient way of fomenting outrage at the council’s move"
Ding ding ding! Correct answer, Mike.
5:12 pm
Cutting teachers while Fenty & the council get free luxury boxes at Nats & Wiz games - that makes sense?
6:10 pm
Come now, you wouldn't want the Council to engage in ticket-scalping, now would you? Besides those boxes weren't free. How many hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars went into building the Nats stadium? And we threw an extra $50 million Abe Pollin's way, just to be fair. We earned those tickets.
8:24 pm
DCPS Budget Info:
http://www.k12.dc.us/about/DCPS%20Budget.htm
Excel Spreadsheet of Schools showing where Ms. Rhee is cutting each school:
http://www.k12.dc.us/about/budget-SY-2009-2010/documents/DCPS-Schools-Budget-Impact-May-2009.xlsx
9:35 am
She really is very silly. As a someone with a good amount of experience in Municipal, State and Federal budgets I cannot imagine how a good Director(Chancellor in this case) of a tax payer funded program/organization did not have alternative budgets. The DCPS should have a 5 year budget plan that never included getting a large increase in funds unless specifically told by the legislature it would happen. With any government agency getting a large increase should be an incredible shock not an entitlement.
I also refuse to believe the DCPS is so lean as to the only cuts that could be made were to school teachers. Have they tried flex schedules for central staff which has proven to been an efficient and motivational cost savings? Have they fixed the Text Book ordering process which was inefficient and run by one individual, and if so what is the current process? Is Ms. Rhee willing to take a pay cut and get rid of her driver, to support her visions?
7:23 am
#2, how is your comment even relevant??
7:10 pm
Art, money is fungible. Money obtained from selling the luxury suites can pay other bills, including teacher salaries. The NYC taxpayers forced Bloomberg to sell the city's baseball tickets earlier this year. Only the apathetic DC residents would let themselves get screwed in the ass year after year by Fenty & his thugs.
4:47 pm
Those luxury suites wouldn't raise enough to pay 1/10th of the teacher salary cuts council is prepared to enact. Probably much less than that, since the council certainly won't give up any tickets they manage to get their hands on.
7:16 pm
Rez, you're wrong. The luxury boxes would bring in at least $5 million per year - & that would hire a lot of teachers: 100 teachers. Besides, even if it were 1/10th - would you rather have the city council & mayor going to sporting events for free or have ten or twenty extra teachers?
Think before you spout off, Rez. Think.
7:57 pm
Your figures are wrong- think of the empty seats behind home plate. Also, the council and the mayor don't attend the games much- they give the tickets away.
I do think, but more than that I know. "Spout off"? Dude, check the mirror.
10:22 pm
Wrong again, Rez - wrong on both counts. First, my figures come from the Nationals' website - $325 per ticket per game. & the Wiz tix are even more expensive. Second, you're wrong on what happens to the tickets - but whoever uses them, it's a waste of city resources.
Apparently you think letting Fenty & the council have luxury box slush funds is a better use of city resources than paying for teachers or after-school programs. You may think, but there are some wires crossed in your brain. Try brain surgery - please.
9:00 am
If she knew how to create and manage a budget that would be a great start. Use the people in central that are hired to support local schools instead of all the consultants that have yet to produce. Stop bringing in all of these newbies at the central level with the highest of salaries that in no way matches their qualifications. Cut some of the vacancies that were never filled last year. There are too many things to consider before cutting school budgets. But then again thinking is so shallow and hard to find at 825.
9:30 am
The proposed cuts might be to new programing that was proposed for this year. The Chancellor proposed adding a number of new preschool classrooms to elementary schools in Wards 4 and 5.
See: https://octo.quickbase.com/db/bdigzq5pe?act=API_GenResultsTable&qid=119
It would be helpful to have a better idea of which teachers are being cut. Are they new positions? Or, are existing teachers being cut? Are Principals being given the cut to make? Or are they being told who to cut?
10:23 am
If your best source of info is the Nats promo site, that (yet again) shows you're more mad than angry.
I'll see your brain surgery and raise you electro shock therapy. Though I'm not sure it'll help with your tourettes.
10:42 am
As for the Excel Spreadsheet of Schools showing where Ms. Rhee is cutting each school:
Based on the worksheet, the average salary for a teacher is $81,100? This number was applied across all the schools. Very little thought and time was given to the worksheet.
11:51 am
$325 x 88 tickets (67- Mayor and 19 council) = $28,600
28,600 x 84 games = $2,402,000, half of what Angry Al says. More importantly, to sell the tickets would put the District in direct competition with the Nationals. Maybe I'm wrong, But I don't believe they had sold all their boxes. Can they sell the tickets or do you think maybe selling in compition with the National might be forbidden under the contract?
12:07 pm
Posturing aside, don't expect to see the tickets sold anytime soon.
2:15 pm
Rez, it may be "posturing" to you, but to most people it's debating the merits of an issue. Unfortunately, logic seems difficult for you, & apparently you merely like to spout off on whatever issue comes in view. Your other comments are beneath anyone's dignity to have to respond to, so cut people a break & go find another hobby.
3:25 pm
Al & Rez GET A ROOM and take a deep breather. Somewhere in your passion for tickets and money (seemingly shared by the Lerners, Fenty, and City Council), you are missing the point of the hijacked DCPS. If neither of you have kids in DCPS, look at it from the perspective that Rhee just gave the Council an ultimatum at the expense of our KIDS!!! In all the complaints I've heard about DCPS, I've never heard that "DCPS has TOO MANY Teachers!" Getting rid of Teachers helps Rhee and Fenty's privatizing/Charter argument.
Also, don't be fooled. The $81k is the salary + benefits, not salary alone.
5:11 pm
Sorry for the Public Display of Apathy, Q. But I couldn't pass up the chance to take a poke at such a repeat purveyor of transparent foolishness.
BTW- the trash device installed on the Anacostia was made in Australia, not Georgia. Georgia is the home to the company that has US distribution rights. The links upstream to your comment will take you to the company's website.
Also, BTW, I am a DCPS parent, I very much enjoyed seeing ~300 administrators let go by Rhee last year, I really doubt Council will have the collective gonads to cut Rhee's budget if it impacts teaching staff, I liked the recent Marc Fisher column on the subject and, lastly, the ticket/teacher nexis is nothing more than posturing.
5:43 pm
No need to apologize Downtown Rez. I still think it's a punk move for Rhee to send the principals the letter, inciting MORE worry especially when she can't get a workable agreement with the WTU. Fearmongering takes on all levels and should NOT be tolerated.
When the principals starts disclosing this letter to the parents (and perspective ones), all sort of panic will begin and get some riled up. This is exactly the conspiracy some are looking for, so that more takeover can occur.
BTW, I knew that the Bandalong was built in Australia. However, the company in Georgia (that handles distribution) still makes it more domestic than the "First...in the Western Hemisphere" crap put out by the Fenty machine.
11:05 am
This whole DCPS and DC Government situation since Fenty took office is a joke. Fenty, has no regards for the people who put him in office and yet the council and those to whom he is responsible for and too continue to allow him to get away with this type of governance. If impeachment and/or recall can't stop him what or who will. Knowing first hand about Fenty and his behavior and style of character I can honestly say that DC is getting worse than better, especially for those who put their faith and trust in him during his initial campaign. He walks the walk,talks the talk but is no different from any other selfish and political wannabe. If only, that is the question.
9:50 pm
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