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Sunday, May 19, 2024 |
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And The Hits Just Keep Coming |
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chmoore
MUSA Immigrant Joined: Jun 07 2011 Status: Offline Points: 17 |
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Posted: Jul 21 2011 at 11:20am |
Things are interesting, if nothing else. Thanks for the post. CH Moore
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c.h. moore
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Thank you for the info. chmoore. My comments were directed more toward the apparent merry-go-round of supers, treasurers and educational/government people in general, who do the "round robin testing" circuit of various positions that open up from time to time. An example is in the paper today with Bill Becker leaving one job and taking on yet another job in Warren county. Ole Bill certainly has made the rounds here in the last few years, hasn't he? Can't seem to settle into a job he likes, although it would appear he's in it for the money, leaving a job that paid a paltry $71 grand a year to one that now pays him $110 grand. Would appear that Billy Boy is going for that money, trading jobs like they were baseball cards.
Yessir. Billy Boy is a very diversified man with many skills. A police chief, a city manager, an emergency director, a township administrator, a councilman. Won't be long before we'll be reading where he's a new member of the Butler County Commissioners! with all his connections. Hey, maybe state senator some day...or...Congressman Becker. Kinda has a ring to it. Wherever the money is and where his influential buddies want him to be. It's almost like now with him being led around by the nose by the MMF'ers. , The Beckermeister needs guidance on where he is suppose to be in the greater scheme of things in Repub. dominated SW Ohio politically. |
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chmoore
MUSA Immigrant Joined: Jun 07 2011 Status: Offline Points: 17 |
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The reason that only currently-employed treasurers are considered by surrounding districts is that treasurers must be licensed by the State. They must have a BA degree in business, 3 semester hours in school law, and 3 semester hours in school finance, plus 300 hours of "field experience" as an intern under a school treasurer. (There is an alternate path instead of the internship: 2 years of "significant, global fiscal officer responsibility in an organizational setting; this must be at the level of either chief or assistant (deputy) fiscal officer and represent a broad range of functions...") Licenses are issued July 1st each year. Thought you'd like to know. CH Moore.
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c.h. moore
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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A little different twist in the Journal today.....How about the school treasurer merry-go-round?? Looks like we have the former Madison schools treasurer who is now Butler County Education Service Center treasurer going to Monroe, we knew about the Monroe treasurer coming to Middletown with an nice raise to boot. Who's on first. What's on second and I don't give a dam is on third. (see Abbott and Costello skit as reference)
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LMAO
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 28 2009 Location: Middletucky Status: Offline Points: 468 |
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It will never end till those people in charge and making the decission stops it from happening.Also those that are double dipping quits being so damn greedy.But what can we do? Just bend over and take it like we have been doing. When those that are in "CHARGED" decides to put another levy on the ballot just say "HELL NO."
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chmoore
MUSA Immigrant Joined: Jun 07 2011 Status: Offline Points: 17 |
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Now that the hen-house has been cleaned, can we get an accurate number of how many double-dippers MCSD has? When can we hope to see an end to this practice?
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c.h. moore
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silver bells
Outsider Joined: Jun 06 2011 Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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I will chime in J and say that the reason we have teachers in less academically demanding roles making as much as or more than those whose jobs require higher level skillsets to teach is simple: Because they can. Because the unions, and not any real accountability as we find in the private sector, have controlled these decisions. Because school districts have not pushed back. Because taxpayers have trusted that when schools said they needed more money “for the kids,” we believed them. Because when there is no real accountability, there is never enough money. And realistic criteria such as pay scales adjusted for different skills needed for different levels, as we see in the private sector, become skewed and distorted. This is because the looters come back again and again and always find ways to spend, and mostly on themselves, whatever they manage to get the taxpayers to pay. In this case, the unions have looted, demanding more and more for all members. If you want to extend this to the school districts, I would simply say that the same logic applies. There will never be enough money to satisfy the district’s “needs.” They simply create new layers—that’s right--of administrators, etc. Since the Ohio Graduation Test in the early 2000s, has Middletown City School District improved on the state report card? No. Has the district grown in workforce size? Yes. Year after year? Yes. Would this ever happen in a private company year after year? No. Would that company most likely be out of business? Yes. What has changed recently to bring the house of cards down in district after district? Hard economic times, state cutbacks, and a growing reluctance by taxpayers to pay and pay and pay for more levies when so many people are losing jobs, losing homes, losing hope. In Ohio, SB5 is another villain in the eyes of the unions. Their strategy is to give concessions to districts in order to win goodwill, then repeal SB5 in November and return to business as usual. That’s what the unions are teaching the rank and file. Never doubt it. One final issue: you have to separate the idea of teaching from “managing.” At all levels school kids are bringing into the classrooms the results of social and economic problems—behaviors, dysfunctions, etc., that often bring enormous emotional, psychological and, yes, spiritual “challenges” (euphemism) to the teachers. If “managing” has become a dominant criterion for pay, schools should just say it and stop the smoke screening. |
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Marcia Andrew
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 09 2010 Status: Offline Points: 365 |
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I would be interested in hearing from teachers on this issue.
Vet, I am guessing that it has been a few years since you have been in a kindergarden classroom. It is not just about coloring and letters anymore. It is much more structured and academic -- some would say it is basically what used to be first grade, taught in kindergarden.
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Ms. Andrew states "So yes, a kindergarten teacher with 28 years experience and a Masters will make more than a new high school physics teacher". Wow.....I understand that that is the way it is in academialand, as silly as it sounds.......just can't understand why years of tenure and going for that Masters in Education (which, IMO, is way overqualified for the subject matter to teach kindergartners and is used just to increase salaries by procuring the extra education) matters. The job at hand....ie teaching simplified subject matter at the lower grades as compared to high school math or physics, which would require a higher level of competence in knowledge should be the deciding factor here, shouldn't it? How in the world, in all these years, did the school world allow the unions to dictate such illogical criteria for pay versus knowledge required? How did those that came before the current crop of educators agree to such nonsense as tenure or additional education as useful contributors for doing the jobs at the lower grade levels? They have nothing to do with educating primary level students. Do you actually need a Phd to teach a kid to color and learn how to print and write or learn the alphabet? I could see the Phd being applied more to the math or science topics. Certainly more complicated.
"Differences in pay among teachers in the same district are the result of years of experience teaching, and level of education completed" AND...AND....DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER TAUGHT. |
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Marcia Andrew
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 09 2010 Status: Offline Points: 365 |
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Vet, while reasonable people could debate whether it is harder to teach/manage a class full of 5 year olds, many of whom have never learned how to behave in a group learning environment, or a class full of hormonal teenagers whose patterns of behavior or misbehavior are set, I personally agree with you that there should be some differentiation among pay based on the subject and age taught. Certainly market forces of supply and demand would justify paying more for some teachers (special ed, high school math and science, as examples of harder to fill positions). However, this is a bedrock, go-to-the-mat issue for unions, who have fought to keep the system the way it is. Differences in pay among teachers in the same district are the result of years of experience teaching, and level of education completed. So yes, a kindergarten teacher with 28 years experience and a Masters will make more than a new high school physics teacher.
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Ms. Andrew- what would be the 17 positions that need to be filled? Are these position that are absolutely vital to the operation? You point out one difference between the public and private sectors. Million and Hall are returning to their previous job in teaching to keep their jobs. In the private world, USUALLY, when one accepts a higher position in the organization, there is no turning back to be retained when the downsizing begins.
Something I've always wondered about but never asked.... It is probably logical to assume that it takes more skills to teach at the higher level grades in a school district. It probably takes more skill to teach math and science than it does to teach students to color between the lines in kindergarten and the lower grades. If indeed, it takes more knowledge and the curriculum is more difficult to teach at the higher grades, why are there some kindergarten teachers making as much as some higher grade math and science teachers? Just curious. I say this because in the technical environment I have worked in the last 40+ years, we have classifications in ranking and pay, and that classification is based on the level of knowledge and the skill level required to do the daily job functions. Just wondering how that all works in the academic world. Thanks in advance for the explanation. |
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Marcia Andrew
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 09 2010 Status: Offline Points: 365 |
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Sorry, Vet, no smokescreen. As was discussed in great detail at last night's board meeting, 64.5 positions have been cut from the district and will not be filled. 82 people have resigned or retired from the district. This means that there are 17 positions, not among the 64.5 cut, that need to be filled. By contract, the people RIF'd have the first chance at the open position, if they are qualified/licensed for that position. Yes, Mr. Hall and Ms. Million were teachers in the district before they became assistant principals, and are returning to the teaching jobs for which they are certified. Teaching licenses are specific to a particular subject area and grade range, so someone licensed to teach pre-K to grade 3, for example, is not qualified to teach high school math. At the end of the day, the district will have 64.5 fewer employees next school year than it had this school year.
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Wow! Looks like they're doin' the old two-step shuffle/ hiding the peanut under the shell games in the school district.
MIDDLETOWN — Even though 55 teachers accepted a retirement incentive plan, Middletown City Schools still cut the jobs of six teachers Monday night. As of Monday, 82 staff members had exited the district through retirement or resignation — 55 accepted incentive packages, Lowery said. The district eliminated 65 positions this year Also Monday, the district RECALLED 11 EMPLOYEES. SO....NOT AS MUCH OF A DOWNSIZING AS IS ALLUDED TO. The majority, however, will be in different positions because of the elimination of their formal roles SO, THEY SLIPPED INTO A JOB EVEN THOUGH THEIR JOB WAS ELIMINATED. ARE THEY QUALIFIED TO DO THESE NEW JOBS? QUALIFIED MORE THAN THE PEOPLE LET GO? For example, Todd Hall and Anedra Million — administrators last year — will be given teaching contracts for next year. Hall will teach social studies at Middletown High School and Million will teach at Wildwood Elementary, Lowery said. Additionally, Middletown schools will need to hire for posts those on the recall list are not certified to teach, which Lowery said include two vacant high school math positions MORE EVIDENCE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE NOT AS DRASTIC AS THEY WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE. THAT OLD SMOKESCREEN GAME WITH THE PUBLIC IS WORKING OUT NICELY. WHO'S STAYING.....WHO'S GOING......NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE. |
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Based on this information, would Ms. Andrew, Mr. Fiora or any other school board member (like to hear from you Mr. Sauter) care to respond? Please tell us "out of the educational loop" taxpayers what is going on with these school positions and why you think they are justified.
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jsmith2011
MUSA Resident Joined: Mar 25 2011 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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I would like to give you my interpetation of the positions you questioned based on what I have learned/heard in the schools I have visited this year.
The tutor positions used to be voluntary and members of the community would come in but now the school district pays (mostly retired teachers) to tutor. So, you are correct in assuming these are positions for friends and family to come back after retirement. In fact, those names you see in the paper today will probably be paid to tutor next year. Although I'm not sure, if they took the incentive to retire they may only be able to substitute. Those rules will change if there is someone they want to hire, I'm sure. All the buildings have several tutors. The attendants are aides for the handicapped, etc. I'm not really sure how that works though because some students have full time aides and some don't. In fact, I've heard that Ms. Andrews daughter has a full time aide but I'm not sure why she qualifies for one and others don't. They cut all the monitor positions last I heard. Those people walked the halls and cafeteria at the high school. Maybe they were in middle schools too, I don't know. The literacy managers and data managers were the positions I had asked about in a previous post somewhere because these are full time, highly paid, teaching staff who are not in the classroom. During the "budget process" when the superintendent went to the schools asking what should be cut and what should stay most of the staff said to cut these positions but of course they weren't cut. They are paid to "crunch the numbers". Those positions were put in place several years back when the district began a new reading program in the elementary schools which they have since abandoned. Now they have another position posted called an "Academic Support Specialist" that sounds a lot like these two positions so I guess they changed the name to fool the taxpayers into thinking they cut positions that were questioned or they have someone they want to hire.... |
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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May 26 Journal article....
More than 50 to take retirement Most accepted early retirement incentives offered by district, a school official said. Middletown’s newest retirees Carla Amburgey, Central Academy, late primary Vickie Andrews, Transportation, bus driver Donna Becker, Amanda, data manager Darol Blevins, Transportation, bus driver Rose Bowling, Transportation, bus driver Lucy Boyer, Middletown High School special education Vicki Brown, Central, early primary Thomas Buchert, Highview, 5th grade Gary Canterbury, technology Paula Cohen, Highview, special education Susan Combs, administration, director Dana Delehanty, Highview, 2nd grade Betty Donisi, transportation, bus driver Patricia Evans, Miller Ridge, 4th grade Glenda Everhart, Transportation, bus driver Roberta Fisher, MHS, secretary Barbara Flory, Manchester, adult ed. teacher Lester Hacker, transportation, bus driver Rex Haller, warehouse, maintenance Carolyn Hamilton, Amanda, 4th frade Rachel Harrison, Wildwood, tutor Belinda Hausman, Wildwood, 2nd grade Kim Hayden, Highview, literacy manager Ezra Heard, MHS, monitor Heather Heller, Wildwood, library manager Janalee Henninger, Manchester, psychologist Shirley Johnson, MHS, math Leazola Jones, MHS, attendant Patricia Kienlen, Mayfield, 2nd grade Marjorie, Kochunas, MHS, physical therapy Rita Kolp, Highview, 1st grade Janice Lyle, Vail, attendant Cathy Maines, Wildwood, 2nd grade Mary McQueen, Transportation, bus driver Barbara Nein, Rosa Parks, 1st grade Dennis Newell, MHS, principal Donna O’Brien, Amanda, special education Sandra Owen, Miller Ridge, 4th grade Cynthia Perander, Miller Ridge, music Karen Pitzer, MHS, counselor Kim Poore, Creekview, special education Barbara Roundtree, MHS, attendant Susan Sant, Miller Ridge, library manager Teddy Schenck, Central, custodian Darrell Smith, warehouse, maintenance Judy Somerfield, MHS, secretary Eva (Bonnie) Storer, MHS, monitor James Thomas, Wildwood, principal Frances Truss, Rosa Parks, 5th grade Thomas Weimer, MHS, art Barbara Wilson, Wildwood, 1st grade Ellen Wilson, Verity, custodian. And pray tell, what would an "attendant", "monitor", "tutor" (thought this was a voluntary position), "literacy manager", and a "data manager" at Amanda be doing on a day to day basis to earn that retirement? Would appear that, on the surface, these positions were fabricated to get a friend or two into the system over the years. Are there actual job descriptions for these positions? If so, where could one go to read about what the job duties were to justify a retirement? Were they really needed or just jobs created for family and friends? |
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Ms. Andrew....where would one find the job descriptions for these various directors and "student services" jobs? Would they be published for the public to review them? I'd like to see what these people do for their large salary.
Smartman.....you would be pleased if this poor performing school district could return to the performance of the 60's. If you've been around here for any length of time, you would have known this. Apparently, you are content with the way it is now and are so gullible as to not question the load of crap district officials shovel sometimes. This district is top-heavy with multiple layers upon layers of positions, the teachers are either not doing the job they need to do to gain effective results or they are not being allowed to achieve success because they are being hindered by the methods set forth by the super, school board, the state/school district teaching methods approved or the quality of student sent to them by the low income parents brought in by the city's low income plan, who don't give a crap about education. What ever the reason, bottom line, this school district ain't gettin' it done and hasn't for decades. As to the "buzz around the region of the good things and positive momentum going on at Middletown City Schools", sounds like a line for a brochure and more "pretty, flowery, transparent talk" coming from a person who must say those things in her position. It ain't so, Ms. Andrew.......it ain't so, and hasn't been for many years. Please tell us how many more years, how many more supers, how many more directors, how many more attempted changes of operation, how many more levies, how many more promises of improvement will we have to see/hear, to see actual improvement from 5 of 30 indicators met? From Continuous Improvement to the next step on the rankings? We have been waiting much too long now. |
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jsmith2011
MUSA Resident Joined: Mar 25 2011 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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Filling out the correct paperwork, maintaining a log of mileage used for business purposes, having the paperwork approved by your superior and receiving a check quarterly and going to the gas pumps at the bus garage and filing up your vehicles are two completely different scenerios. I'm aware of the business world and how it works. I'm also aware of the procedure that is supposed to be followed for Middletown City Schools but apparently it doesn't apply to some employees. I didn't go out and do my own investigation. I commented to a school district employee about the school district cutting jobs and services to save money and the response I received was, "The school district could save a lot of money if Thompson, Klapper and Hammond didn't fill their cars up at the bus garage". The employees at the warehouse, bus garage and treasurer's office are aware of the situation.
Same with the stipend an administrative employee received to be the library coordinator. Apparently she will receive or did receive a large sum, $5,000.00 was quoted to me, for something she never did. Never coordinated anything, never visited a library, never had a meeting. The library managers were laid off but she still has a job and a stipend. How many times does that happen? Middletown High School has a nice stipend for the teacher who heads up the newspaper at the school. When was the last time there was one published? Years ago I understand. |
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Speaking of employees, and with apologies as this does not pertain to the school system, but rather Middletown Health Department. Heard Director of Nursing resigned, and will be taking a position t the Atrium Hospital. What affect, if any, will this resigantion of the Director whom had Jackie Philips position, have on the levy, if any? Consolidtion looking more and more like the direction MHD needs to be going.
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Teachers Need to be motivated and taught to instruct? Seriously, this is insulting to a teacher. Cars provided to be driven with gas with all that extensive traffic and travel between schools? Please, what does it average, 100 miles a month? Let them use the IRS reference Ms. Andrew you referenced. Mr. Hammond an employee of Petermann, who also has the exact type of management inherited from other school districts, which also leads to a FTE position, instead of taking off, and reducing expense. Finally, buzz about Middletown's school district direction? What I'm hearing in buzz as how the union put on hold a raise, and Middletown is paying more to attract others to come in, while enrollment declines. Don't recall any positive 'buzz' associated with enthusiasm, other than the district pays extremely well compared to Lakota, others.
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Marcia Andrew
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 09 2010 Status: Offline Points: 365 |
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Vet, this is the same position I explained a few weeks ago on here. 8 directors have been cut to 6, and this new position, which is one of the remaining 6, replaces Susan Combs' position of Director of Student Services. The responsibilities of the directors have been restructured, with everyone doing more.
The superintendent believes that this position is key to improving the performance of our schools. He has come up with a way to add these new responsibilities at a lower cost (6 v. 8, plus Ison will earn less than Combs did). Ison will be training and mentoring the principals on how to improve the instruction delivered by the teachers in their buildings. Has he been a director of instructional leadership before? no. But when he started as principal at Lebanon HIgh, it was rated Continuous Improvement. Within 5 years, it was rated Excellent, and he maintained that rating for the remaining 5 or 6 years. He did that, in part, by training and motivating the teachers in his building to improve their teaching and motivate the students in their classrooms. And, he has a Superintendent's license pending (which involves extra training and coursework). It is a promotion (being a principal vs. supervising all principals) and so a raise in pay is appropriate. The academic support specialist position is part of this emphasis on improved instruction.
I, for one, am thrilled that someone with Mr. Ison's proven success is joining the team, and also that he wants to be part of the buzz around the region of the good things and positive momentum going on at Middletown City Schools.
JSmith, the positions on the March RIF list have not, and will not, be filled. Some of the employees who were RIF'd out of those positions may be qualified to fill another position that may be open due to retirement or otherwise. They were not fired for performance, their positions were cut to save money, so I am not sure why you are opposed to them taking another job in the district, if that has happened. With over 700 employees, there will always be some openings every year due to normal attrition, even when we are cutting positions. At the end of the day, more than 30 positions remain cut, part of changes saving the district over $5 million. If you have specific information of new positions being created to accomodate these people, please state it. To my knowledge this is not happening.
Repurposing Highview as a 6th grade center saves the district approx $1 million, mostly from reduction of personnel. 1 less principal, 1 less secretary/receptionist, 2 fewer custodians, and a lot fewer classroom teachers and music/art/gym, because those K-5 students are largely absorbed into existing K-5 classrooms in other buildings. I don't know exactly how much will be spent on lockers and other modifications. Say its $25,000. Do the math.
As Vail principal Michael Valenti reported at Monday's board meeting, he estimates the cost to change the name of the middle school to be approximately $11,000, and that he could raise that amount from his principal's fund if necessary.
Yes, some district employees drive district vehicles, and others have either a car allowance or mileage reimbursement. These are employees whose jobs for the district require frequent travel between and among the district's 11 school buildings, Barnitz stadium, bus garage, maintenance building, and administration building. This is so standard in business and public work that there is a federal mileage reimbursement rate (now at 50 cents per mile, I believe) updated annually by the IRS. If you have evidence that employees are abusing this by being reimbursed for gas for private non-school travel, please let me know by email mandrew@middletowncityschools.com. Mr. Hammond will be an employee of Petermann starting July 1.
Marcia Andrew
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Smartman
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 14 2008 Status: Offline Points: 299 |
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Good call sportsnut! I could not agree more. But remember the select negative few on this board will not see it that way. Why? Because they did not think of it first and because we need to return to the way it was in the 60's. I hope he brings change and positive results!
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sportsnut
MUSA Immigrant Joined: May 18 2007 Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Hmm, maybe bringing in an administrator from an Excellent rated district will be a good thing.
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Neil Barille
MUSA Resident Joined: Jul 07 2010 Status: Offline Points: 238 |
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hmm, one can assume the guy from Lebanon is getting a nice $10k bump in order to pad his pension calculation. Wanna bet he will "retire" in about 3 years after hire date?
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