Well, so much for trying to have a quiet, smooth, unemotional, well-organized opening of the school year! This past Tuesday, superintendents received an email from the Governor's office that he would meet with us via conference call at 3:00 p.m. that afternoon. At that point, we knew it was bad news - he wasn't just calling to chat- but we didn't know how bad! The Governor began the conversation thanking superintendents for our work and led right into the purpose of the call. With continued decline in State revenues, it is necessary for school districts to be cut another 3% in state funding. For Muscogee County that is $5,321,769. That news was bad enough, but he wasn't finished with the conversation. He then began to talk about furloughs. The Governor doesn't have the authority to furlough teachers, but the legislative leadership has given him the authority to withhold funds; therefore, he will be withholding the funds for three days of salaries and requested that school districts furlough personnel for three days prior to December 31, 2009. The money will be withheld during the next five months. Three days of QBE salaries for our district is another $2,182,76l! The total to be withheld from us will be $7,504,530! Given this amount of budget reduction, we are really having to make some tough decisions.
A teacher posted this question? If we furlough, does that mean we work and don't get paid? No, if we furlough, we wouldn't work and we wouldn't get paid. We would not be asking employees to work without pay. We would shut all schools and all school offices down; no work, no pay for three days. We are still looking at all of our options. Stay tuned!
Friday, July 24, 2009
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If a furlough is required, will the amount deducted from the paycheck occur in the month the furlough is taken? Or will it be figured in as a deduction from the total salary and then divided by 12 (months)?
ReplyDeleteI am a single parent of three children and a teacher for Muscogee County. I love what I do and I am thankful for the opportunity to (hopefully) make a difference in the lives of our children. I, along with countless other teachers, spend my own money and time to make sure that students have what they need to receive quality instruction. Could this count towards our furlough days? This is a definite hardship for my family. Is this how Georgia plans to retain and recruit teachers? Come to Georgia where you will receive a paycut???. I'm receiving a smartboard this year. Could that be returned for a refund so I can keep my pay? I'll gladly shell out the money for my dry erase markers like I had to last year.
ReplyDeleteIf the Board decides to furlough, the deduction would be made over a ten-month period - September through June. With August payday just a few days away, our finance department already has that payroll in the works!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm sure knowing how the deduction will take place will help teachers as they plan for their upcoming classroom expenses as they start the school year.
ReplyDeleteSince teachers have no say in the furlough and it does effect us would the board please consider our opinion when implementing the three days. Some suggestions from the teacher lounge talk are as follow:
ReplyDelete1. Give us a fall break like other counties do.
2. Consider using in-service days since it won't affect students, bus drivers, or cafeteria workers.
3. Please Do NOT do it in the months of Nov. Dec. Or Jan. We are shopping for x-mas and we already go 6 weeks without a check. At that point every penny counts.
Just some suggetions and thoughts from some of your at work teachers. We do appreciate all you have done for us and the county. We also strongly suppport you and our board members.
Will the furlough apply to all employees?
ReplyDeleteI should have said, with July payroll a few days away, not August! The Board will decide in a called meeting today IF we will furlough and IF SO, who. Will post the results of the meeting this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteAs an MCSD teacher, I have also heard talk of making revisions in our contracts to ignore our step increases...Is this rumor true?
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at the amended school schedule I must say that I do not like the changes. Why not leave the schedule as is until the final furlough decision in August? That way if we don't have to be furloughed we can just work the schedule as it was. Making teachers work until Dec 23 interferes with many people's holiday plans and if you travel, like I do for Christmas, ticket prices will be much more expensive.
ReplyDeleteAs we know we didn't have much options with the furlough. However, we would like to thank you and the board for taking in consideration the pervious comments about the furlough and coming to a comfortable solution in dealing with this matter. It is our thoughts that you and the board produced a well thought out calendar and compromise to have the least amount of negative impact on those involved. Again we thank you and the board for a wonderful job. We now hope to have a great start to a wonderful new school year and hope the governor doesn't have anymore surprise for us.
ReplyDeleteWe are all working now and not getting paid for it, with this short "pre-planning" period, just look at each school. Teachers are already there! We should not be asked to take a furlough! I say we do away with the No sales Tax weekend and give that to the state employees.
ReplyDeleteDr.Andrews as a former student I trust the choices you make you've proven yourself over the years.So just stand strong an believe we will get threw this together.
ReplyDeleteBut I need to know how long will this last?I love everyone at River Road an don't want to see anyone go without they have family's to take care of.
These are hard times! There are indications that the economy is improving and that we are seeing an upturn in indicators of it bouncing back. The Governor states that when the economy turns around it takes a little longer for that recovery to show in state revenues. Hopefully, we are near the end!
ReplyDeleteWhy can't the furlough just be applied to the salaries of administrative-level employees? They make the most money, and even though most of them work through the summer, we all know that they don't necessarily "work" all of those hours.
ReplyDeleteOkay...I understand the furlough situation. But the revised calendar the board has created...taking days from Christmas Break?! If anything, take the days from that ridiculous week long Thanksgiving break!
ReplyDeleteA great many teachers do not understand the furlough on the table now. They are under the impression, they will be working December 21, 22, 23. Could an email be sent clarifying this topic? It's easier to stop the rumor mill now, than later.
ReplyDeleteWith the news of the state not only allowing 3 but up to 10 days this concerns me greatly. My wife and I both work for MCSD as teachers and a possible 20 day layoff will more than put my family in a bind for money even if it is spread over 10 months. Is there any consideration being given to the fact that some families have more than one teacher in them and how the double layoff will crush them finacially?
ReplyDeletewill all employees lose 3 days pay or just those who would regularly work on planning/in service days?
ReplyDeleteMost of the teachers already work 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet because the economy is in such dire straights. No furlough would be the best news for all if possible.
ReplyDeleteChange the already planned in-service days to furlough days -- is that the proposal?
ReplyDeleteThe Board agreed to move the already planned inservice days of Oct. 23, Feb. 11, and Mar. 15 to a stand-alone week in December. The day in Oct., Feb., and March now become "off" days - no work, no pay. Dec. 21, 22, and 23 become In-service days. If we furlough, the days in December will become the furlough days. We won't work and won't get paid. Total unpaid days = three. By putting these days in a week with no other activities, we will not have to keep time sheets to prove that employees are not working overtime. It is complicated, but right to do this.
ReplyDeleteSo there is no response on any consideration for families with multiple teachers?
ReplyDeleteIt is complicated. Am I hearing that this isn't going to end up effecting our students? And since this only seems to be effecting the school personnel, is this going to save enough and be the significant money savings that we need? What would be devastating is for the Board to put this in place, and then our county find out later it's still needs to cut.
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you and the board for coming to a decision that seems to make the best of a bad situation. I have to admit I was pretty angry when I first heard that we were going to lose three days of pay, but I understand better now after reading your response to this situation why this has to take place. You did a great job explaining the situation to us. I want to also thank you for spreading the deduction out over time so that we can adjust our budgets accordingly. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHas Muscogee County considered a 4 day school week for the students. Peach County will be saving alot of money by making the school week shorter.
ReplyDeleteHow can the board actually think that requiring us to work the days preceeding Christmas is the "best" way. We have families. The board is really going to undermine any moral by doing this to us. Just leave the planning days as furlough days and don't mess with our holiday. Please!
ReplyDeleteWill this 3 day furlough also include you and the asst. superintendent?
ReplyDeleteYes, all administrators will participate in the furlough. The cost in my salary for the three days equals over $2100.00. I am willing to do this because I know the furloughs are saving literally dozens and dozens of jobs right here in our school district. I am thankful for a job. I am thankful for health care benefits. I am confident that this recession won't last forever.
ReplyDeleteIf furlough days are being made, why are some getting promotions and raises and others are not...
ReplyDeleteIf I had the specific person to whom you are referring I could answer this more precisely. As we cut positions, we have had to add responsibilities to others but rarely with any compensation. Since I don't know to whom you are referring I can't be specific in my answer. There have been very few of either promotions or raises.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the position approved at the recent Board meeting for Division of Information Services? I thought there was a hiring freeze. Where is the money for this position coming from? How many new positions have been added to the DIS department in the last year? Why not have furlough days only for those that are getting the raises this year?
ReplyDeleteI am glad you asked about this position. The Muscogee County School Board had a contract with CELT, a company that assists in the implementation of large technology infrastructure projects. Our contract with CELT for this part of the services was approximately
ReplyDelete$150,000.00. This contract is being discontinued. We still need the service that the company was providing for us. We were able to hire the individual who was working for CELT to be an employee of the Muscogee County School District for much less than $150,000.00. This transaction produced a savings for the school district of tens of thousands of dollars, not an additional expense.
I wish that our govenor had asked the Georgia Teachers to donate these days to our great state instead of demanding furlough days. Perhaps we wouldn't 'feel' so bullied had we 'gifted' the days. Facing the Georgia Tax Free weekend immediately following the furlough announcement added to the angst of the directive. Now we classroom teachers will observe as our high-paid administrators move into a very expensive new facility while we shell out hundreds of dollars (that we cannot afford) to purchase the items we need in our classrooms. My personal 'out of pocket' classroom expenses are well above 200.00 thus far this year.
ReplyDeleteI understand how you feel. If you have visited the Columbus Roberts Center or the Bradley Library you understand that your system administrators have been working in substandard conditions for many years and that the efficiency and effectiveness of the school district will be improved by having these departments in one place. We will also be able to sell some of the old properties and decrease the costs of operations. This money can then go to classrooms. The air conditioning in my office did not work for four days when the outside temperature was near 100 and we didn't know if it was dead forever. It has been put on life support and we are hoping it lasts until we can move into the new building. At the Columbus Roberts Center, the restrooms that our employees have to use are used by the homeless in the evenings and every morning have to be cleaned and by the way, there is very little heat and no air conditioning in them. The roof leaks and the building has many rooms with mold issues. Please don't begrudge the fact that employees who have worked in these kinds of conditions for years will finally have a safe and clean environment in which to work. I haven't seen a single classroom or school in such terrible condition as the condition in which many of our administrators work. I want every educator, and especially our teachers, to work in beautiful environments. I want our classrooms to be clean and beautiful and comfortable. I believe our children deserve to be surrounded by great books, ample supplies, and caring and productive teachers. We are moving in this direction. Be patient.
ReplyDeleteI know teachers spend their own money. I wish you didn't have to. As a classroom teacher I was always seeing things that would benefit my children and buying them out of my own pocket. That is why teachers are different - they can't help themselves when they see something that will benefit a child. Thank you for doing that. I wish you didn't have to. I have also been in a system where the teachers had plenty of supply money and their classrooms were full of everything you can imagine - guess what? Those teachers still spent personal money to buy things they thought would benefit their students. It is the nature of the teacher, I think. I am not ashamed of this. I am proud that we care enough to sacrifice for someone else's children.!
As the spouse of a MCSD teacher and a state employee myself, I think it is just shameful that all three furlough days are being taken in December out of one pay period. This is going to be devastating financially for many families around the holidays. Our administration wanted our furlough to hurt our people the least, so we are taking a furlough day a month in August, September and October, to have them not all be in one pay period or have as much impact on the holidays. I sincerely wish the school district had shown as much concern for their folks as President Jones did for his faculty and staff at Columbus Technical College. This is truly a shame!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you are confused about how the pay for the furlough days will be deducted. It will be prorated across the rest of the contract time. The first deduction will be out of everyone's September checks and will continue through the end of everyone's contract. The three day amount will be divided by twelve and deducted in 1/12th amounts- September through August for teachers. Hopefully this will hurt the least amount possible!
ReplyDelete