It's been overshadowed by budget cuts, but the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools legislative agenda is also up for a vote Tuesday.
The five items essentially boil down to "If you can't give us money, give us freedom."
If the board approves the list, members will ask state legislators to loosen spending strings; provide more freedom in evaluating, paying and firing teachers; and allow more leeway in fixing low-performing schools. In what's likely to be the most-agreed-on item, the board added an item asking for freedom to set its own school calendar. And in what's likely to be the most controversial, there's a proposed item seeking the authority for CMS to levy its own taxes.
New House Speaker Thom Tillis, a former CMS PTSA dad, says he supports giving local school board more authority. I suspect agreeing to that notion in theory is going to prove easier than actually cutting through the snarls of state rules and regulations, though.
Monday, February 7, 2011
CMS wish list: Flexibility, please
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25 comments:
As usual, a pr thrust by CMS leaders to meet their agenda at the expense of their employees. Their is no money to pay for performance (remember the old bonuses for EOC scores?) so what employee would be happy to give up masters and other money so they can be subjected to an arbitrary process to earn back the money they were already making? Sounds like Gorman just wants to institute a shell program then move on to a federal program on the basis of this. The surrounding counties will all benefit by these shenanigans.
Go ahead and let all of the current teaching staff over the age of 25 go. TFA can round up another 8000 bodies to fill space in classrooms at 25K per body with the volume discount. Pete will get the quality in teaching he so richly deserves and the population will get, well, you know what you're getting.
I received an email today, as a National Board certified teacher, that the state legislature is trying to eliminate the NBCT bonus. Really? When it's been PROVEN that an NB certification leads to better student performance??
Just CMS' attempt to institute Pay for Performance.... What a joke!
What gives Pete shivers at night is the chance that the state may let him implement his Pay For Performance plan without a vote from the teachers, which is what the law currently demands. This is the only real goal of this Administration which sees PFP (once again - completely disproved by the research)as the capper on a resume that will get him a job in DC.
Really? An automatic pay raise just for attainment of a Master's degree? In the corporate world you better hope that a Master's degree actually teaches you new skills and allows you to perform at a higher level. If it does then you will probably be promoted. If not, then you just wasted time and money on another degree.
The advanced degree has to be in the licensure field subject that is being taught or no payment. That's unlike the CMS Accountability head's multiple degrees in Special Ed variants while pursuing a highly valued Ph.d from Wingate. Anon 7:34 there are no promotions in CMS. Most call it temporary duty before being thrown under the bus.
The Legislature must not decide that the school system is to be given authority to levy a new tax! If there is to be taxing authority given to the school system, that MUST be established by those who are going to pay the tax.
OK, have we finally learned that hiring a superintendent from the same school system which spent hundred's of millions on renovating a hotel into a high school that they couldn't pay teachers to staff was a bad idea?
The school calendar is just a smoke screen... the real issue here is the desire to LEVY their own taxes! That's about being able to continue to fund failing programs.
One thing I am constantly reminded of is how grateful I am to the realtor who encouraged me to buy in Cabarrus County because the schools were so much better than in Mecklenburg! My daughter graduates this year and he was SO RIGHT!
Mr. Gorman,
You've clearly worn out your welcome here. I'm sure that somewhere in the country there is another school system gullible enough, or desperate enough, to offer you the opportunity to move on the greener pastures... however, if that is not the case... I suspect that there are a number of parents in Mecklenburg County who would be happy to contribute to fund your moving expenses!
Perhaps you might like to return to California where they seem to applaud and reward failed policies? Don't let the door hit ya on the way out!
"And in what's likely to be the most controversial, there's a proposed item seeking the authority for CMS to levy its own taxes"
Uh, good luck with that Mr. Gorman... guess you didn't notice that Republicans gained control in the state legistlature? Oh, you never took, or taught Political Science? No wonder you don't know why "that dog won't hunt"!
I apologize for the string of posts but the more I think about this the angrier I get!
These people are supposed to be teaching our children yet they continue to demonstrate nothing but ignorance!
To suggest that CMS be given the authority to directly levy taxes ignores the fact that we once fought a little war to oppose the concept of taxation without representation (yes, the school board is elected, but the superintendent isn't)... it was called the Revolutionary War!
Money isn't going to fix the problem... flexible calendars aren't going to fix the problem. The REAL problem with CMS is that politics and patronage have become more important than the needs of the students! They spend more time looking for excuses than seeking accountability. Blame is rampant but solutions and personal responsibility are as rare unicorns!
We teach political correctness, birth control and sex ed, but our students can't read, write or count their own money! They learn no respect, or how to interview for a job! They are taught what they are OWED, but learn nothing of what their responsibilities are!
Dr. Gorman is moving to get exactly what he wants... and he has planned this from the beginning... Quite the strategist... much like Napoleon... now... let's find him an Elba!
You ignorant horde of people. You blame Mr. Gorman for the downfalls of CMS when the system has been in decline for the last 10 years. The real culprit to blame is the Board of Education and all of its members who refuse to do their job and question Mr. Gorman's spending policies, strategic staffing policies and programs. Three members of the board have children in private schools and therefore deserve "Not" a seat at the table. Others are more interested in how they can benefit economically from CMS. When all is done CMS will be another urban ship wreck on the rocks of educational reform and the only sailors stranded will be your children. SOS!!!!
John, Since you live in Cabarrus County, why are you so angry about what is happening in Mecklenburg County? I'm also curious about your thoughts on the taxing situation. School boards (the boards, not the superintendent) in many places throughout the country have taxing authority. It's not a new idea. I suspect many don't understand what taxing authority by school would look like. In places I have lived with such a taxing situation the electorate votes on what the tax rate will be for schools. The board doesn't set the rate. I'm not sure how it would be handled here. But the mere suggestion of such a thing certainly doesn't warrant such hysteria, does it? Perhaps Ann or Eric could eventually do an article on how school board taxing authority is handled in other states.
I have already secured a job in another county and will watch Mr. Gorman "Nero" burn down the city "CMS" and fiddle while the rest of you run around in panic and do nothing. If you currently teach in CMS the time to leave is now, if you can find a good job. Oh yeah, good luck paying those much higher taxes that you "WILL" pay when Mr. Gorman's so called reforms are over.
As a tax paying citizen all I can do is wonder why Dr. Gorman demands that his teachers and principals be held accountable when he is never held accountable by the Board of Education. Several of his programs have shown themselves to be failures, yet he keeps asking for more money. Can someone help me understand?
Well I am hoping that the state has already giving CMS flexibility with class sizes. I believe there is a state law that says class sizes cannot exceed 31 students, except those classes like band, choir, etc. But we all know about the social studies classes and math classes with over 40 students in them. Maybe this is forgiveness after the fact?
What Budget Cuts Have Meant for Providence High School:
In 2008-2009 Providence High School had 89 teachers. In 2010-11 we have dropped to 74 teachers. We've lost 3 CTE teachers, 1 Media Specialist/Technology Associate, 1 EC Assistant, 1 Assistant Principal, 1 Social Worker, 1 Special Populations Coordinator, 1 Counselor, 1/2 ESL teacher, 1 Media Assistant and 1 Campus Security Associate. The Family and Consumer Science Program was completely eliminated, Drama and Marketing Classes have each been cut by 6 and AP Psychology classes have been cut by 4.
Class sizes are extremely high. We have many classes with more than 35 students, some with 45+ students. In some classes, the physical room is not large enough so the teachers find it impossible to walk up and down the rows or to get to each student during the class period. We are trying to use the mall, the gym lobby, the auditorium houses 2 classes per period, etc. so we maximize our space.
Teachers are having to adjust assignments to accommodate these large numbers of students. While our students are still considered prepared and competetive for college, the question is when the negative impact will be felt during the college admissions process. With more cuts coming in 2011-12, this situation can only worsen. To voice your concerns, see the list of influential decision makers below.
http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/phsptso/cmsbudgetcrisis.html
Not a teacher in the world wants or believes in P4P. The idea that we will 'pay for excellence' is ludicrous when we don't have the money to support this. It is just a way to cut salaries.
And to the person who said that masters don't always translate to raises in business, this is true. However education, which is not a business, has NB certifications and Masters analogous to certifications in business. Not every masters earns a bonus. The guidelines are very specific that they be for education and applicable to the classroom.
Gorman, please move on. Please stop trying to make your name on the back of our community.
Isn't this the first draft of the agenda that George Battle presented to the Board 2 weeks ago?
This will be the final nail in the coffin for CMS. It will only remain as a "government indoctrination" system of last resort.
Folks write Thom Tillis to be sure if they do this, responsible parents will find a way to get some of their tax money back to find their own education solutions for their children.
6:35, this is indeed an expanded/revised version of what Battle presented two weeks ago, taking into account feedback from the board at that time.
I received an email today, as a National Board certified teacher, that the state legislature is trying to eliminate the NBCT bonus. Really? When it's been PROVEN that an NB certification leads to better student performance??
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