Get Schooled

By WFC

July 1, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this

Public school systems are top-heavy with highly paid central office administrators whose activities have almost no impact on the daily learning of children. However, don’t hold your breath waiting for cuts there. It’s politics.

By private school guy

July 1, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this

Six years ago former superintendent Johnny Brown ordered the same type of study. The study was never released and Brown later stepped down. Will the same thing happen again since there are so many jobs at stake. I have been told that if administrators don’t work out they are simply shuffled into managerial jobs. Does anyone know when was the last time an administrator was actually dismissed and not moved into a high paying back room position?

By private school guy

July 1, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this

Six years ago former superintendent Johnny Brown ordered the same type of study. The study was never released and Brown later stepped down. Will the same thing happen again since there are so many jobs at stake. I have been told that if administrators don’t work out they are simply shuffled into managerial jobs. Does anyone know when was the last time an administrator was actually dismissed and not moved into a high paying back room position?

By jim d

July 1, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this

Eliminate wannabe shrinks, over the top Admin., main office non essential part timers, graduation coaches, etc., etc.

Close the schools up at night rather than operate them as community centers, eliminate all high stakes testing,go ahead and rid the schools of trouble makers with a strict 3 strikes and you’re out policy. Make kids walk up to a mile to catch a bus rather than picking them up at their door. Refuse to comply with unfunded mandates from the fed and state.

As for assuring students get the help they need? Just send a note to parents telling them to raise their own damn kids.

By Ernest

July 1, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this

Downsizing/rightsizing is a reality in today’s economic climate. All school systems should take a comprehensive look at their staffing levels and performance every 4-5 years. Currently, employee compensation makes up about 91% of the DCSS budget. The target is 86%. My recollection is SACS indicated employee compensation for schools should be between 87-93% of the budget.

Hiring an outside firm to help with this process is the right thing to do because they can expect any ‘reduction in force’ attempts to be met with some litigation. Making these decisions based on industry best practices and standards would reduce that likelihood.

With possible cuts to the labor force, expectations should be set with stakeholders that their could be cuts in service. If everyone understands and accepts that, everyone can deal with the outcome of this process. School staffing should get ‘guidance’ from a formula however the actual needs of a school should be taken into consideration before a final decision is made.

By Private School Guy

July 1, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this

A study was done regarding jobs six years ago under Johnny Brown. He resigned and the very expensive study was never released. Perhaps too may jobs of entrenched people would have disappeared. I was told there are a number of school administrators who did not perform well and who were moved to non-educational positions while keeping their administrator salaries.
One sensible solution in addition to cleaning house is to offer early retirement to those teachers 20+ steps up the salary chart.

By GOB

July 1, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this

JimD - Schools, especially high schools, usually make money by being open in the evenings. The basketball leagues, baseball leagues, etc all have to pay for the use of the school, so that isnt the kind of thing that is costing most schools money. I know at my school, our baseball and softball fields are rented out to local leagues, and even when they leave the place a mess, the principal refused to say anything because “they pay so many of our bills.”

By jackieO

July 1, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this

After 32 years in Dekalb, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that they are way too top heavy. I agree with Ernest that they will need some basis for choosing which jobs/servicies to eliminate..But… Paying for another firm to assess where they should cut is ridiculous when they already have the study done while Johhny Brown was Super. AJC needs to press [get that…”press” ???] Crawford Lewis and/or the school board to release and use that one. Also, my colleagues and I have said for years that cuts should be made from those positions that never have contact with the students….i.e. those useless “CONSULTANTS” that work for huge salaries out of the county office…as well as the “suits” that sit in meetings all day, thinking up more things for teachers to do!!!!!

By Ernest

July 1, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

jackieO, fwiw it was mentioned that compensation and classification studies are normally valid for about 5 years hence the need for another one. Also part of the reason for paying an outside firm is because the level of expertise needed to perform this kind of assessment doesn’t exist on the staff today.

An interesting comment was made about ‘outsourcing’. True, you could probably outsource something like janitorial services for the school system and reduce labor costs however you would have more expense by contracting that out. Which is better, it determines what kind of ROI formulas you use. Think back to the City of Atlanta outsourcing their Water Services department a few years ago and what resulted from that….

By TheBlogger

July 1, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this

DeKalb School System does have a major problem. To see this problem, just go visit the central office - it is easy to see. The “central office” includes at least two towers filled with high payed employees and consultants that push papers.

These employees are over paid while the (supposed) purpose of school systems is to focus on the students and the classroom.

If that isn’t bad enough, the majority of these employees are relatives or friends of the upper people in those very central offices.

This is happening in DeKalb while teachers must purchase school supplies out of their own paychecks.

I would say that YES, something certainly needs to change. However, my guess is that teacher positions will be cut and that teachers will be asked to have their salaries reduced or frozen before any of those central office employees see any difference at all.

By TheBlogger

July 1, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this

This is why we desperately need a real teacher union in GA!

By OldSchool

July 1, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this

Ever notice how football coaching positions seem to be safe from cutbacks? At least down here that seems to be the case. Evidently the money brought in on a few Friday nights each year is more important than a math teacher.

By Alecia

July 1, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this

Aside from having over redundant non-educator positions, has anyone ever looked at the price these schools pay for copying, ink, and paper? My daughter will start kindergarten in the fall. However, we have already received a nicely bound student handbook and other nicely bound documents. These same documents are available online. Her future school has 1,000 kids. Just saying….we are in an age where most parents have internet access and can retrieve these items online in pdf format. Does anyone know how much is spent on all this paper,ink, and binding?

By catlady

July 1, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this

Let ME pick whose positions are un-needed! Please! I volunteer to help!

Like…the speech teacher who has 7 hours of planning time a week… …the football coach who teaches one class a day…. ….all central office staff who have been out of the classroom more than 5 years (they should have to go back into the classroom for 3 years, then reapply for their CO position)… …..any teacher who has time to put up new bulletin boards during the school day…. ….any support staff who are not qualified for their job (for example, a secretary who does not know how to type)….. ….anyone whose job it is to take care of the football field, to the exclusion of everything else…. …..any administrator who was kicked up stairs to get ready for retirement…. ….any teacher who was selected because of their breeding stock….. ……any building administrator with less than 10 years of regular classroom teaching….. ….any teacher or administrator who says ,”have went” in a sentence….. …..any administrator whose degrees are from diploma mill colleges….. …..anyone who thinks up YET ANOTHER thing for teachers to do…..

By catlady

July 1, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this

Oh, yeah….. Across the board: math coaches, reading coaches, graduation coaches, drivers ed “coaches” (sorry, but that seems to be who gets the job), school social workers and nurses. (Yeah, they do a good job, but they do work that is really the parents’ and DFACS’ to do).

By Ernest

July 1, 2008 2:47 PM | Link to this

We all know the old saying about how money talks. Interesting comment OldSchool but when you consider the amount of revenue that football generates along with the civic pride that comes with a good football team, it’s not hard to realize why it is probably safe from cutbacks. Also factor in that football (along with basketball) ‘subsidizes’ most of the other sports at a school and you see why football will remain king down south.

I’ve heard about some of the football booster club budgets at larger HSs and it is amazing.

By Gwinnett Educator

July 1, 2008 3:18 PM | Link to this

I am glad I got out when I did. I remember the first thingie done under Johhny Brown. Its funny how some “higher ups” get paid more than what is called for (and it was found) and it was aid that their salaries would be frozen until their duties catch up. HOWEVER, a grade level colleague received a check for some 700 odd dollars and she was told..”OH, we realized that we over paid you this past school yr”.

I agree whole heartedly with catlady. It is a shame that this has to happen, but there are FAR too many sitting in those offices that are just soaking up paychecks.

By jim d

July 1, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

Leve us not forget the teachers that are only teaching as a means to cancel debt incurred gaining their diplomas. You know the ones, those that will disappear off the face of the earth once their debts have been canceled—those that will only be in a school after that time to b itch about the teachers teaching their kids.

By catlady

July 1, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this

GE: they are not just soaking up paychecks. They are soaking up LOCAL MONEY paychecks (money the state does not pitch in).

In our county we also have teachers with “sweetheart deals” whose presence makes the rest of us have to pull extra duty. They are hired as payoff to their families. Not only is there the money and the extra duty, but their hiring also has a very very negative effect on the other staff morale.

By jackieO

July 1, 2008 5:09 PM | Link to this

O-o-o-o Catlady!!!!! Perfect choices!!!!

SSay Laura, could you just forward Catlady’s list to Crawford and the board??

Oh, and Blogger, I totally forgot [but just for a minute] about the rampant RAMPANT nepotism in Dekalb School System Buildings A and B!!!!!

By RealTeachersUnions?

July 1, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this

We aren’t going to have real teachers unions in Georgia, as long as teachers continue to join organizations run by administrators.

I wonder if a GAE or PAGE representative can answer the following: If you had to go to an arbitration hearing with your insurance company, would you let their lawyers represent you?

If not, then can you explain how a teacher can completely trust GAE or PAGE to represent them when their rights have been violated by an administrator, when the administrator, and many of administrators above him are likely to be members of GAE or PAGE?

Despite the fact that GAE or PAGE won’t give you a straight answer to that question, teachers continue to join. Despite the fact that PAGE completely caved in when it came to fighting for teachers’ fair dismissal rights, teachers continue to join.

If teaching conditions aren’t what they need to be in Georgia, maybe teachers need to take a good, long, hard look in the mirror and see who they are giving their collective power to.

By jackieO

July 1, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this

Ernest…in a real money saving effort, maybe they could fudge a little on the time frame of the study….Spending several hundred thousand dollars for such a study TWICE within 10 years seems a little, uh, uh outrageous, especially in the current economic climate. That amount would pay quite a few teachers’salaries for a while.

By Ernest

July 1, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this

jackieO, I’m not disagreeing with you but merely pointing out that investing in the study also provides ‘cover’ for when the RIFs occur. It is a tough decision regarding who to lay off along with providing a reason. Having the documentation from the study could help reduce possible legal expenses. In that case alone, the study could pay for itself.

One other thing the consultant mentioned that was interesting was that DeKalb has be ‘generous’ over the years with regards to increases to the point employees ‘expected’ a raise every year’ . It was suggested this may need to be examined. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a new day and time that we are living in….

By jackieO

July 1, 2008 6:12 PM | Link to this

That raise thing….I know your’re right. However, presently, when hired, new teachers are shown/given the pay scale for their position, which provides a chart of step raisest they can expect. I guess maybe they aren’t really contractual, but it’s the state increases every year that aren’t and have never been automatic.

By Gwinnett Educator

July 1, 2008 7:04 PM | Link to this

**in regards to GAE, PAGE..Whenever someone tried to enroll teachers at my former school in Dekalb, they always put emphasis on protecting the teachers from students/parents/lawsuits. In my 9 plus yrs at that school, I never heard anyone mention anything about “protection” (for lack of better words) against adminstrators. Maybe that is a reason that teachers continue to join.

I haven’t joined anything since starting in Gwinnett. To be honest with you, I haven’t heard anyone discussing it in our school. My last school was swamped with that mess.

By RealTeachersUnions?

July 1, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this

Ah the old “liability insurance” angle GAE and PAGE use to get members. Too bad most teachers don’t know it’s totally not needed, seeing as teachers in Georgia are covered by sovereign immunity laws.

What does it say about the leadership of either organization that they would use tactics such as a totally unnecessary liability insurance to gain members?

Teachers need to wake up and see who they are giving their hard earned money to, and what they will, and more importantly, will not do, for teachers.

By Gwinnett Educator

July 1, 2008 7:31 PM | Link to this

I will be the FIRST to admit that I joined GAE because of those tactics. However, I haven’t done anything since starting in Gwinnett and I don’t plan to.

All this time I kept reading on this blog about these organizations serving teachers and adminstrators and I just didn’t get it. lol….UNTIL today. DUH..the light bulb went off when I started thinking back to all those free donuts, bagels, and juice in the teachers’ lounge while they handed out information and tried to get more teachers to sign up.

By thomas

July 1, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

Catlady,

Dmn girl you hit it on the head!!!! But again girl, dmn!!!! If they start questioning the people you named about their necessity within the school system, then there wouldn’t be any “good” jobs left, now would it?

I want to tell you guys a true story about some silliness that goes on in our schools. But for now, I have to keep most of the particulars secret. A principal at at a local metro area school recently received a Central Office bullcrap job. This former principal’s school was one on the worst in the county. What could have been an average school was run into the ground due to gross incompetence. Instead of being fired from the principalship or being forced to retire, they get a PROMOTION. A job that amounts to absolutely nothing. A pure fool off the street could do it. I swear to almighty God I probably could get a child to do this job. A ten year old.

Don’t ever think that school- ANYWHERE- is about the children. Whether you are in the city, suburbs, or country, it’s all about politics and who-knows-you. You have lots of grunts getting hll in the trenchs and a handful of lucky saps who sit on their as all day bulls_itting. You have ‘em in the schools and you have ‘em at the Central Office.

By jackieO

July 1, 2008 9:17 PM | Link to this

Thomas..and over and over and over again!!! After 32 years I have seen versions of your story over and over and over again!!! Anybody remember when one of the administrative employess at the Dekalb Schools Service Ctr was caught red handed hauling stolen equipment out of the warehouse on a county owned truck ? He was sentenced to a few years in jail. When he got out, Dekalb hired him back again!!!!!

By thomas

July 1, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this

I can tell you this— organizations like PAGE and GAE are a waste of money for most people. I know. I know from experience.

First of all, they are professional organizations, not UNIONS. PAGE is the worst because they are in league with the establishment (state DOE/leaders, local school systems, administrators, etc.). In fact, PAGE actually supports administration. GAE is like that somewhat. But what makes GAE a little different is that some of the local units (like ODE, CCEA, CCAE, etc.) are a little stronger when it comes to defending teachers’ rights.

The best for defending teachers’ rights is MACE. I am telling you this as a high ranking member of another teachers’ association. They actually get out and protest a school when one or more of their members are getting railroading or conditions at the school are really bad. MACE is so strong that the powers that be got upset and caused a stink down in Clayton. It was Norresse Haynes who pushed for the Teachers Bill of Rights down in Clayton. The establishment doesn’t want teachers, as a whole, to have rights and be respected. Oh sure, you have some teachers who get to do what they please. But they are the ones who have special privileges and are the ones administration likes. Everybody else is held to a different standard.

MACE doesn’t lobby like GAE does, which I guess you could say is one big drawback to MACE. PAGE doesn’t lobby at all. But when I am in trouble, I think I would rather have somebody fighting hard for me. I rather have somebody with my back rather than a travel mug or calendar during Teacher Appreciation Week. I rather you be with me when I need you than down at the state capital in April, cheesing, and chasing behind some legislator, begging them not to screw teachers further during the upcoming legislative session.

By thomas

July 1, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this

Oh yeah, JimD, let’s not forget about those folks teaching just to satisfy a student loan arrangement. They won’t be in the classroom long. But neither will the TAPP people. These are the people I am most concerned about. They have the shortest lifespan of any of the teacher workforce.

By TheBlogger

July 2, 2008 12:24 AM | Link to this

I will tell you what will happen - and it will not be any of the suggestions mentioned in this blog by all of you….

Some teachers will not get a contract for the following year. These will not be the “newer” teachers or even the “bad” teachers but rather the teachers that are a “thorn” in the side of the administrators by bringing up things important to education.

All teachers in DeKalb will not be given their promised “step” increase and will likely not be given the increase from the State of GA for increase in cost of living.

All class sizes will increase. Translation: teachers will be doing more work for less money and students will be given a lesser education (just what DeKalb needs).

The central office will not be touched. Okay, maybe they will add positions. After all, they have to hire more pencil pushers to ensure that teachers are fired properly, right?

IMHO, the only way for these things not to happen is for the tax payers in DeKalb to get up in arms now before it is too late. However, DeKalb parents (much like Clayton parents) are too apathetic and will do nothing except for a random verbal complaint now and then.

Welcome to Georgia. First Clayton, then DeKalb, then your school system.

By jim d

July 2, 2008 7:18 AM | Link to this

Thomas,

I’m afraid I do not share your concerns about TAPP teachers for several reasons.

1: They have Chosen to teach, generally leaving a better paying job for which they are usually highly qualified. (unlike many professional educators)

2: They must test in the subject matter they will be teaching.

3: They work under the tutilage an educator in a supervised internship program.

I think the reasons for them not staying, in some instances, is largely due to lack of internal support (from other teachers and administration). And let’s face it, they have confidence that they can earn a decent living without all the BS, so they don’t have to (nor do they) put up with the crap that many teachers feel they must. They have actually worked in the professional world outside of education.

By Gwinnett Educator

July 2, 2008 7:19 AM | Link to this

The blogger, what you have typed is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! I had a conversation last evening with a corporate America friend of mine and basically told her the same things you just said.

I remember when I didn’t sign my contract, my parents thought I was crazy. But I told them, I could not stay any longer. I couldn’t explain why but I am so glad I left. I’m also in the process of home shopping and looking for the place I want my daughter to attend school in 3 yrs. (looking at a private school in Fairburn). I am making preparations NOW to get her there and she will be 2 in 20 days. I repeated to my elderly parents I did NOT want my child enrolled in any Dekalb County school. I would take a 2nd job, break a few rules, or send her to stay with relatives before letting that happen.

I know there is no perfect school system/school, etc however, I know where I do not want my child.

By Lee

July 2, 2008 7:51 AM | Link to this

30+ years ago, my small AA school had one principal, two secretaries, one librarian, one counselor, and the rest were teachers.

Today, that same AA school has one principal, two assistant principals, about eight secretaries, and numerous other “fluff” positions such as technology specialists, school psychologist, school social worker.

But my all time favorite is that we now pay an “In-School Suspension Teacher” over $90k per year.

AND HE’S NOT EVEN THAT GOOD OF A FOOTBALL COACH!!!!

You want an eye opener, go here and peruse the titles and salaries of your school district.

The taxpayers want a Chevrolet and we are paying for a Mercedes that doesn’t run half the time.

By Lee

July 2, 2008 8:06 AM | Link to this

One more thing, my small, semi-rural school system pays more than ONE MILLION dollars per year for ESOL teacher salaries. I can just imagine what it would be for the larger school systems.

Just another example of how Congress has failed to do their jobs and protect our borders has resulted in a real cost to citizens.

By Gwinnett Educator

July 2, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this

Ok Lee…I went to that link and all I can say is WOW.

I want to know what kind of MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES pays over 79k a yr and where do I apply??

By catlady

July 2, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this

jim d, the only info I have on TAPP is anecdotal. We don’t have TAPP here, unless you are the daughter of a school board member who needs a job. Here is my question: TAPP has been in place several years. Anyone seen any data on TAPP related to retention/attrition? And who would provide this? Why, the same on-top-of-things state department who has (not) done the research on student retention, who has (not) done the research on the validity of CRCT. I would LOVE to know what the retention rates are for TAPP from year to year, and how they compare to traditionally-prepared teachers. Also, how are TAPP teachers’ students scores? The state DOE CAN tell us, but they WON’T.

By Ernest

July 2, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

catlady, that is a metric I would like to see, retention rates of ‘non traditional’ teachers along with the type of school and subjects they teach. The data is probably there to help guide on hiring these types of individuals.

By Ernest

July 2, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this

Lee, to the point of your post @ 7:51, would you say the WE are the reason the number of staffers at school systems have increased? What I mean is that we’ve become such a litigious society along with providing more ‘rules and regulations’ on top of ‘reading, writing, and arithmetic’, there has some employees whose job function is to help with accountability.

Think about this, don’t several of you know of a principal and/or school employee that mysteriously was no longer there because someone couldn’t account for money? That’s why in some schools you have bookkeepers now. Schools get more money based on students being in school rather than out. That’s partly what we have In School Suspension (ISS) and a dedicated staffer for that. Heck, aren’t there dedicated grant writers in some school systems because they know how to bring additional dollars into the schools? Follow the money trail….

By jim d

July 2, 2008 10:07 AM | Link to this

Cat,

Those numbers were tracked by the Ga. DOE. back in 01 and I suspect even more recently. Perhaps an open records request would spring them free. How about it Laura? You game? Is The AJC? This could prove to be an interesting article.

By jim d

July 2, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this

Yo Cat,

the numbers of teacher attrition are actually available here and are broken down pretty well. It would appear that the attrition of TAPP hires is roughly the same as teachers trained traditionally, plus or minus a % point or two

By thomas

July 2, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this

Lee, you are something else!!! First of all, I have always thought that that website is a violation of people’s rights and privacy. It just shows you how little they think of school and state employees. No respect. Nobody else’s business is put out on the street like this.

But everytime I look at this site (it’s been up for years), I think about how much money these people are getting paid. Teachers in this state get paid good. This is one reason why I get angry when people don’t do their job. People sitting around on their a*ses getting $60,000 and $70,000 a year. Tons of ‘em. People who have been in the system 10, 15 years, got a lousy master’s degree from a diploma mill, and they are getting 60 grand+ a year.

And we have excuses as to why our kids can’t learn.

By jim d

July 2, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this

And let me add this thought for those that do not approve of the TAPP program.

if Georgia were to cut its teacher attrition rate in half, the current numbers of newly certified teachers would be sufficient. We currently enjoy an attrition rate of about 1/3 of our teachers leaving the profession prior to their sixth year of teaching. This speaks volumes about education here in Ga.

By Ernest

July 2, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this

Not to digress too much but Thomas’s point about access to that information might make a good blog topic some day. I believe that as long as personal information isn’t released (i.e. home address, phone number, etc.), is is the public’s right to know because that is funded with public dollars. It is a part of the checks and balances of our government. Like any data, one would hope that it is used properly.

Interestingly, it does get back to the point regarding staffing. Would you want to hire someone to answer Open Records Requests for this information or simply provide it on a ‘self service ’ website as it is? Someone looked at the labor costs and made a business decision to do it that way. Using technology to reduce labor costs, what a concept…..

By Gwinnett Educator

July 2, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this

I’ve thought more about the access to that information after looking at myself and then ccuriousity got the best of me, I looked at a few others.

I can see where having access to this info could be helpful and I can also see how it is unfair. sigh..I dont know

By jim d

July 2, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this

Well Ernest,

In gwinnett we have to have someone reply to every open records request regarding any funds spent by our schools when it would be an easy matter to post the check ledgers on the website. But then that would eliminate a well paying job for one of Napolavins flunkies.

Transparancey is Good The more of it—the better.

By luvs2teach

July 2, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this

The site Lee posted was interesting - however, my information was incorrect - I wish I was making what it said I made - it’s about $7,000 more than the STEP scale would indicate - however, I have received stipends, supplements, and after-school pay. I’m curious what it included - and I’m also curious what year it was for - I saw teachers on there that are retired - was that their retirement pay?

By Ernest

July 2, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this

JimD, this all ties back to the blog topic, how do you cut labor costs without compromising the delivery of services. You are a business person and can see where providing this type of transparency can result in an overall cost savings. True, there is an initial ‘one time’ investment needed for the technology and training but once it is in place, you can realize your ROI right away. Those labor dollars can either be cut from the budget or redirected to areas of need, i.e. the classroom.

You know what JimD, if the state BoE hired us, we’d probably find a way to put ourselves out of a job right away by implementing ideas like this…. :)

By jim d

July 2, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this

L2T,

check the total against your W-2

And have those retired teachers taken advantage of the law allowing them to return to work? maybe in another school?

the teachers I personally know don’t dispute the records.

By luvs2teach

July 2, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this

jim d - the total doesn’t match any W-2 from that last 5 years - however, that doesn’t surprise me, because a raise (STEP or COL) takes effect in August, effectively splitting the year.

There was also several colleagues of mine who weren’t with the system last year (but were in 06-07) who were on there. The retiree I saw (as her name was right above mine in the list - I was technically snooping at that point) is genuinely and happily retired, but she was also still with the system 06-07, not 07-08.

I guess it gets a little sticky when fiscal years, calendar years, and school years don’t all match.

I still think the info’s interesting, don’t get me wrong.

By Ernest

July 2, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this

L2T, I believe the data is from FY07, which runs from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2007. In that case, it should not match your W-2 unless you did not get an increase during that time. Otherwise, you’d need to look at your salaries from the 1st half of 2007 and add them to your salaries for the last half of that year. That ‘should’ match your 2007 W-2.

By catlady

July 2, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this

I don’t think the information posted includes “hidden” compensation, such as income derived from sports camps, or things the school board pays for the supt that the rest of the employees have to pay out of their own salary (in my system, that is quite a bit) . Nor does it include the payments toward benefits that the school board makes for all, I believe. I am not sure if it includes mileage. And it does not include “make work” that the spouses of highly desired administrators or coaches are favored with, of course. This is by my estimation, looking at what is available on line. Perhaps someone with the state division of audits could explain what is included, and how the figures are derived.