Gwinnett, Forsyth to furlough teachers

By Alyse Knorr

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia school districts have been making tough decisions this week about whether or not to implement three unpaid teacher furloughs, and the decision-making process will continue into next week.

Most school districts so far have decided to go ahead with furloughs. One, Cobb County, has decided against them.

Gwinnett, Fulton and Forsyth counties will furlough. DeKalb County and Atlanta Public Schools have not yet made a decision.

Gwinnett’s furlough days will include two days of the school districts’s pre-planning week — Monday, Aug. 3 and Tuesday, Aug. 4, as well as a staff development/planning day on Friday, Oct. 9.

Forsyth’s furloughs will include Friday, Aug. 7; Monday, Oct. 12 and Monday, Jan. 4.

Fulton County’s furlough days have not yet been decided, however Fulton County Superintendent Dr. Cindy Loe has recommended that the days occur during the teacher pre-planning week of Aug. 3-7. This would break from other districts’ plans to spread the days out throughout the year.

The Fulton County school board is expected to vote on Loe’s recommendation next week.

Cherokee County, Floyd County, Bibb County and Colquitt County will also furlough employees.

Cobb School Board members voted Thursday to avoid three furlough days for teachers that would have resulted from state budget cuts.

The board voted 6-1 to take money from reserves to pay its teachers, who start back to school Aug. 3.

“These teachers have done a yeoman’s effort. Let’s not dump on them,” school board chairman John Abraham said.

DeKalb County school officials expect to decide early next week whether to move ahead with the teacher furloughs, system spokesman Dale Davis said Friday. If they decide to do them, those days would be in addition to a one-day furlough for all DeKalb school employees on May 25, 2010 — a cost-cutting measure already approved by the school board.

Members of the Clayton County Board of Education will likely map out a furlough plan when they meet for a work session Monday, said Dr. Pam Adamson, the District 1 board member.

Adamson said she does not believe Clayton County is in the position, like Cobby County, to be able to pull from its reserves and avoid the three-day furlough.

“We’ve had to cut, cut, cut,” Adamson said. “I can’t see how we could carve out the money [to avoid teacher furloughs].”