Personnel Questions

June 1, 2010

Before cutting teachers, custodians and groundkeepers positions why aren't the superintendent and all other employees with salaries over $100,000 required to take pay cuts? Have they even been asked to volunteer to do so as a good faith effort? Is DPS still providing these administrators with cell phones and PDAs, as well as a travel budget?
Thanks for your email.  Salaries for top-level administrators are in their contracts that are approved by the Board of Education.  You may want to share your thoughts with Board members. The question about travel/cell phones already was answered in the questions from commissioners. 

May 13, 2010

Is it true that a principal may place a tenured regular classroom teacher on the "surplus" list over an initially licensed regular classroom teacher when the principal is making necessary position cuts? In other words, can a tenured regular classroom teacher be bumped from his or her current school so that the principal maintains a position for an initially licensed regular classroom teacher?
All tenured teachers at this juncture in the process will have a position for next school year.  There is no guarantee as to the location.

May 10, 2010

 I had heard that DPS has six Associate Superintendents but Wake has one. I was wondering if you could explain the difference in need for Durham County as opposed to other counties that are as large as Durham. Also, what portion of the budget goes to funding these positions and is there any consideration to decrease the allotment for these positions and to cut from the top before touching the classroom teaching positions. Thank you.
Please see the Central Office Staffing Comparison chart on the Budget Website.  On that chart, you will see that Wake has seven deputy/area superintendents.  School districts are not consistent with administrator titles.  That is why DPS Human Resources contacted school districts and used the information in the Statistical Profile that is published by the Department of Public Instruction to produce this chart.  The portion of the budget that is spent on top level administration is 1/2% of the total operating budget.  The proposed budget includes a cut of 60 positions from Central Services and a 25% reduction in Central Service program budgets, for the second year.

Why are instructional support positions the first to get cut(reading specialists, AIG, ) etc? Don't they know that cutting reading teachers will have an impact on the classroom as well as AIG and other instructional support teachers. We still work directly with students in the schools!
DPS is facing the second straight year for making serious cuts to its budget.  Principals are making difficult decisions regarding the positions to cut.  With $20 million in reductions to be made, all employees and programs will be affected by the budget situation. 

May 7, 2010
I haven't seen direct mention of our school counselors or school social worker positions being considered in the budget. Both of these positions are vital supports to classroom teachers. If class size increases, behavior management problems will increase and teachers will be under more stress, and will need more support for students from counselors and social workers. As I understand it, there are two types of social workers in DPS. Some are contracted out from DSS, and DSS pays half of their salaries. The DPS employee social workers are fully paid by DPS. If social workers need to be cut (which I hope is not being considered at all), wouldn't it make sense to keep or even increase DSS subsidized social workers and decrease 100% DPS employed positions?
Currently we are not planning to reduce social workers or counselors due to the budget situation.  The Governor’s budget includes a reduction for the Child and Family Support Team grant which provides funding for 7 Social workers so that contract may be impacted by the state budget but at the present time we do not plan on reducing our regular social workers at DPS.  The only counselor reductions would be due to student growth issues and those positions are not anticipated to be reduced at this time.

May 4, 2010
I apologize if I missed this somewhere, but I was wondering what DPS did with the money obtained from the 0.5% furlough from last Spring that came from the locally funded employees...25% of our employees are locally funded, correct? So, what was done with the 0.5% of their salaries that was held back for the furlough? Thanks!
Dollars from the local furlough were used to help offset funding losses in excess of $4M experienced last spring when the state froze expenditures. Despite this, the school system reported a loss in the local current expense fund for the year of $1,862,263.  Details of the DPS financial challenges for the 2008-2009 school year due to funding reductions after the school year began can be found in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report – Management’s Discussion and Analysis section (Page 3).  This financial report is posted on the DPS budget website.

May 3, 2010

Looking at your proposed cuts I see that is no reduction in the Associate and Assistant Superintendents salaries. Why is fair to lay off teachers and cut salaries but this group go untouched? You could get rid of three of them if the others would go to work. I guess this is what happens when the fox is guarding the hen house!
The Superintendent’s budget that was released on April 29 reduces Central Services by 60 positions and 25
% program cuts.  The budget does not describe the exact positions to be cut.  Those positions will be made public after the employees have been notified and the Board has acted.  

April 26, 2010

Is the survey legitimate?
If you are referring to the salary reduction survey that was completed earlier in April, yes, it was a legitimate DPS survey.  However, the furlough option that was asked about in the survey is not an option that local districts can use, according to the DPS attorney.  This information was confirmed after the survey was administered so other avenues of cuts will need to be made. 

April 14, 2010

If we are going to lose our teaching positions for next year when will we be notified?
Thanks for your question.  That question has been answered on the Budget Website under Personnel. Here’s from DPS Human Resources:  Certified staff working under a probationary contract have to be notified by June 15, 2010 based on NC Public School law.  There is no date for classified staff.

April 12, 2010

DPS has announced possible cuts in local supplemental teacher salary; has DPS announced possible cuts in local supplemental salary for administrators? It would seem necessary to allow them to vote on options. Also - What are your thoughts as to the salary cuts can we should expect from the state this year?
Thanks for your email.  DPS has not announced any cuts to supplements for 2010-11.  There was a survey done at the request of the Board of Education asking how all employees view furlough or salary reductions.  Regarding what the state will do as far as salaries, the Governor will release her budget proposal on April 20 so there should be more information available at that time.  However, the General Assembly will put the state budget together in May and June so it is too early to tell. 

When will the staff know what the staffing budget recommendations were that the principals sent in for their schools? Will the staff have knowledge of those recommendations before the beginning of the new school year? How soon will the staff be notified?
DPS Human Resource Services will work with principals over the new few weeks to determine staffing based on the preliminary allotments that principals will receive on April 15.  Certified staff working under a probationary contract have to be notified by June 15, 2010 based on NC Public School law.  There is no date for classified staff. 

March 31, 2010

 Would an early retirement package ever be considered......say a magical number of seventy five which equals age + experience. This might eliminate some higher paid teachers, while employing some new teachers at a substantial savings.
Thanks for your suggestion.  Your recommendation is one that would have to be acted on by the Legislature and you may want to suggest that to Durham legislators.  Their contact information is on the Budget Website.  

It is frightening to read through the Budget Options Menu, especially when you get to the class size increase to reduce teachers. I know that a lot of thought and worry has gone into trying to find solutions to our current budget shortfall. I wonder what has been considered about substitute teachers. Across the nation many school systems have gone to a rotating system where central office/administrators fill those substitute positions that are needed on a short term basis. The strategy has been used to both save money and keep supervisory personnel current. I realize this kind of suggestion may seem unattainable in light of all the possible cuts, but has it been concerned at all?
Thanks for your email.  With more than $20 million to cut, this is a painful process for everyone.  Central Services employees who are certified teachers already are in schools much of the time with the tier visits and curriculum audits but we certainly will pass along your suggestion to Dr. Mozingo.  From Dr. Mozingo:  We do appreciate your feedback. This is a very difficult process for everyone.  Our staff spend an enormous amount of time in schools conducting learning walks, conducting curriculum reviews, implementing audits, planning with teachers, demonstrating lessons and … With the current reductions at the Central Office, this might be difficult. However, this was mentioned to us as a strategy.  We appreciate your suggestion and level of understanding. Thanks.

I understand that some schools rehired probationary teachers after they had been laid off by the district, despite the fact that tenured teachers who could have filled those positions were not considered. This does not seem right. Further, it seems that positions were filled by school administrators arbitrarily, rather than by the district according to a set plan to place surplussed teachers. Teachers seemed as though they were "on their own" once they received notice of being laid off, with no consideration being given to those with tenure. How can this be? Will this occur again this year?
All tenured teachers were found a position for the 2009-2010 school year.  Once tenured teachers were placed in positions, some probationary teachers were rehired.  

March 30, 2010

How can DPS say that pay reduction is permanent? Isn't that a state call?
The pay reduction that staff members are providing input into is proposed at the local level; we do not know what the state will do about freezes, reductions or other cuts since the General Assembly has not yet met.  We believe that the salary reductions would be permanent because we do not think it is feasible that the county would ever give us the $10-$13 million it would take to restore salaries to what they were before the reduction and these could not come from state funds.

March 29, 2010

I'm curious as to whether a suggestion to trim the budget could be helped by developing a strategy to enable teachers to take early retirement. Although the state plan calls for 30 years, 25 years at 60, or 5 years after 60, would it be cost-effective to pay off years for those who are close, saving longevity pay and supplement monies? This is more of a question than a suggestion, but I believe the math might favor this as a possibility. I realize that the budget is exceptionally tight at this time. Thank you.
Thanks for your suggestion.  Your recommendation is one that would have to be acted on by the Legislature and you may want to suggest that to Durham legislators.  Their contact information is on the Budget Website.  

A suggestion for the budget: Employees who have 30+ years in the retirement system should be made to retire. You would save so much money and hire young people whose salary would not cost so much. This is often done in the business/private sector.
Thanks for your suggestion.  Your recommendation is one that would have to be acted on by the Legislature and you may want to suggest that to Durham legislators.  Their contact information is on the Budget Website.  

A suggestion for the budget: Have a retirement package for those who have 25-29 years in the nc system. You even could have it for those who have 20 years. Have the package fair and I bet you would save money on us veterns and hire new people whose salaries would not be so much.
Thanks for your suggestion.  Your recommendation is one that would have to be acted on by the Legislature and you may want to suggest that to Durham legislators.  Their contact information is on the Budget Website.  

I support taking the furloughs to save teaching jobs. What I would like to know is how the school district will ensure that teachers, assistants and related service personnell will actually be able to take the 2 day furlough? We were not allowed to take the furlough time when students were in session. Therefore, many of us worked our furloughs. This is not fair or an honest way to treat employees. Teacher work days are very limited and often have designated continuing education or other programs were participation is mandatory. One suggestion is to dismiss school for the entire week of Thanksgiving, with the furlough days being the Monday and Tuesday of that week. This is a time where many families can plan extended vacations or have relatives around to help with childcare. Thank you for considering my question.
Thanks for your email.  If the furlough option is approved, we certainly will consider your suggestions.

If we find out that a valued person providing essential services at our school ends up on the list scheduled for layoff, what avenues are there for externally funding that position so that our students don't lose the assistance of that person?  I'm talking about finding external funds (outside the DPS budget) to add to that school's budget to cover salary to make sure that that valued person stays in their job, so that at least those students don't lose out.  There's no re-doing a particular grade: we can't shortchange our students' education.   Please tell me what options that you know of that are available: either alternative sources of funds (grants, foundations, including sources that have previously established a working relationship with the DPS, even if they do not appear to have funds at present), or proper DPS accounting mechanisms that are in place, up and running, when external funds are located.  Also, on what timelines must this funding occur in order to save a current position?  Lead times are critical here. 
Here is the response to your question about raising funds to support positions.  Thank you for the question and for considering this kind of support at a time when school funding is in such short supply.
As a rule, the school system cannot promise to use PTA funds to preserve a particular position.  PTA funds are primarily used for one-time funding items.  As you know, some PTAs are better able than others to raise funds.  Preserving positions at a given school because of PTA fund raising at that school could result in significant inequities from school to school and would not permit us to allocate our scarce funds where they are most needed.

The school system has sought and continues to seek grant funding for particular positions and programs.  Most grant funding, however, is directed toward a particular educational initiative or need, and not for the purpose of replacing classroom or other already existing positions.   We have sought to use federal stabilization and other money to preserve as many positions as possible.

All this being said, we welcome your input and that of other PTA members in how best to fund vital school programs.

March 25, 2010

Specifically, what coaching allowances are proposed to be cut and what CTE positions are proposed to be cut?
The reduction options that are being considered by the Board include reducing coaching supplements for Athletic Directors and reducing 8 positions districtwide in CTE.  The exact positions have not been determined. 

March 22, 2010
How does having tenure play a part in budget cuts? Will classroom and instructional support tenured teachers be cut after teachers who do not have tenure?”

The short answer to your question is that if teachers have to be let go due to budget reductions tenured teachers will be cut after probationary teachers. Board policy 5435 -- reduction in force -- establishes the guidelines for reduction in force (RIF) implementation.  The entire policy may be read online at http://www.dpsnc.net/about-dps/district-policies/525/5435-reduction-in-force.  Section 5435.3 reads
If the Board authorizes a reduction in the number of certified positions, the following steps shall be taken to determine which employees are to be dismissed or demoted:
A. Normal attrition (resignations, retirements, nonrenewals) shall be considered prior to any reduction in staff.
B. Next, probationary employees in the affected employee group (see 5435.1.E above) shall be dismissed or demoted according to the method set forth below for reducing career employees.
C. In recommending to the Board the career employees to be included in reduction in force, the Superintendent shall consider the following factors: 1. Length of service, with higher priority given to service in the Durham Public Schools system (or the pre-merger school systems);
2. Recency and length of service in particular areas of certification;
3. Recency and length of service in particular grade levels;
4. Service and performance in extra duty positions and continued commitment to fill such positions;
5. Continuity and stability of existing classes and programs;
6. Service in a curriculum area where there is a limited pool of qualified or available personnel; and
7. Performance. NOTE: If the funding for specially funded positions is reduced or eliminated, the Superintendent may recommend that the Board of Education only dismiss or demote employees in those positions.

March 16, 2010

Is there an effort to increase a teacher to the step on which he/she belongs? Many, including myself, have had to take on second and even third jobs. The students are the ones who I feel suffer because those of us forced to do this have to now divide our time and stretch ourselves to the max. Teachers need some increase/incentive to keep doing what we love to do and be able to pay our bills.
The state determines the teacher salary schedule.  For the current year the state froze the teachers at their current salary step.  Given the current budget situation —with teachers being cut and class sizes increasing—it is highly unlikely the state will be in a position for restore the experience step for teachers salaries.

What positions that are considered support are being looked at for budget cuts? Are A.I.G. positions being looked at? If A.I.G. students are the least at risk population of students in regards to NCLB and ELL students are the most at risk for effecting the overall scores and meeting NCLB standards, will ESL postions be considered for budget cuts? What will the ratio of ESL teacher to students be in providing services and will this be comparable to providing services to A.I.G. students.

Currently all positions are being reviewed for potential reductions given the depth of the state funding cuts anticipated.  Currently ESL students are provided support at a 1:60 ratio (district wide) and AIG students are provided support at a 1:70 ratio (Elementary and Middle school only).  AIG support in the high schools is from within existing resources and course selections.   Both areas of the budget have limited funds and the ratios may need to be adjusted to align with available funding.

Are cuts going to be made across the board and not just in the classroom, if so, will that information be provided to the community so parents don't think only teaching positions and classroom resources are being affected?

Yes, we want to be as transparent as possible.  Yes, there will be cuts to Central Services and all other budgets.  If you have suggestions for how DPS can be more transparent, please send them to Public.affairs@dpsnc.net
 

DPS has the reputation of being top heavy downtown. What is being done to clarify or rectify this?

DPS Central Services cut 61 positions in 2009-10 and will cut additional positions for the coming year.  When comparing Central Services staff using data from the 2008-09 Public School Personnel Summary (NC DPI), DPS has the second lowest percentage of the school districts listed when adding the “Other Professional” category to the number of staff for calculation purposes.  This category includes information technology, social workers, speech therapists, etc.  See the Central Services comparison chart for more information.
 

How can parents find out how many departments are with DPS administration and how many support staff each of the departments have?

The DPS organization charts are online.Most departments also have a description on the Departments page. We do not have a breakdown of the number of administrative assistants for each department. 
 

At one of the Middle/High School Reform meetings it was stated the meeting facilitator was retired and came back as a consultant to facilitate the meeting. Could this not be done with current staff instead of contracted resources?

Yes, this is the last year that the facilitator will work with the groups. 
 

Why is downtown hiring when the schools are faced with cutting teaching staff?

All positions are being studied when they become vacant and only positions deemed essential are being filled.
 

Why do we hear about teacher layoffs during budget crises, but it doesn’t appear that Central Services cuts positions?

In fact, a total of 61 Central Services positions were cut for the 2009-10 school year.  More are expected to be made for the coming year.  These 61 positions were among the 298 positions DPS cut before the start of the 2009-10 school year.  There will be additional Central Services cuts for 2010-11.
 

What efforts will be made to protect teacher positions and classroom instruction?

Personnel comprises more than 80 percent of the DPS total budget.  DPS principals and administrators have been instructed to look at every line item in their respective budgets to trim unnecessary or expendable costs.  Everything possible to minimize layoffs will be done, but because so much of our budget rests in personnel, there will most likely be a number of positions that will be cut. As many of these as possible will be realized through attrition and retirement.