How did Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools end up with $10 million in county money to spend on iPads and other technology improvements this year? The budget maneuver was so complex that even board members who voted for it in July were asking questions, and Chief Financial Officer Sheila Shirley created a flow chart to explain it (read it on page 5 of this budget presentation).
Here's how it worked: Last spring, as then-Superintendent Peter Gorman and the board were planning the 2011-12 budget, CMS planned to pay for clerical and custodial jobs with a mix of county money and temporary federal aid. But when the state budget approved in June was better than CMS had anticipated, there was money to cover the county share and free up $28 million (commissioners had just granted CMS a $26 million bump).
CMS didn't use that money to hire more staff because officials realized the federal money that was paying for secretaries and custodians would disappear in 2012-13, Shirley said this week. Instead, CMS tapped that money for one-time projects in 2011-12, including technology, maintenance projects that had been put off and the cost of moving several administrative offices. In 2012-13, the county money will go back into the budget for clerical and custodial staff.
None of that got much attention at the time, given the hullabaloo over averting teacher layoffs and saving prekindergarten classrooms. Gorman and his staff had spent months talking about laying off hundreds of teachers and other employees to prepare for an anticipated $100 million in cuts. When the board voted 8-1 for the final 2011-12 budget in July (only Kaye McGarry opposed it), the minutes show their comments focused on their delight at being able to restore 1,665 jobs for teachers and other school staff.
The technology money got new attention last week, when CMS invited teams of teachers to make proposals to get "innovation kits" that include one iPad per teacher and up to 10 per classroom.
CMS initially said there was about $10 million in county money for that project, including training and "infrastructure upgrades." Tuesday night, Interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh said the actual breakdown is $3.5 million for devices such as iPads, $500,000 for training to help teachers use the new technology and $6.6 million to install wireless internet in all schools.
The $1.2 million CMS spent to give iPads and software to principals and other school administrators didn't come from that $10 million pot, but from money carried over from the previous budget year, Shirley said.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The tech-money shuffle
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20 comments:
Here is the critical question: Was the money from the county approved for a specific purpose? If so, then it is unethical at best, to divert that money to any other use and may even be illegal in some circumstances.
The flow chart on page 5 pretty much sums up CMS;
A total cluster that makes no sense.
Did you hear that? Let me repeat it.
THREE MILLION DOLLARS to cover "... the cost of moving several administrative offices."
Are you kidding me? Get the employees to help on a weekend, and rent some moving vans. $3 million?
Here's an idea... take that $3 million, add it to most, if not all of the $3.5 million for "personal learning devices," and spend it this way:
Buy more copy paper for every school, and then use the remainder to give every teacher a one-time "thank you for what you do every day and for putting up with us every year" BONUS.
I figure you could purchase about $100,000 in copy paper, leaving $6.4 million for the bonuses.
Let's say there are 9,400 teachers... that would be $681 each.
Anyone with me?
The Shirley chart on page 5 shows CMS had abundance of funds and like many who have made the same mistake, made an impulse purchase. The IPADs will be outdated before they get them, will need updates and will also need to be replaced with time. Also, why IPAD and not the more moderately priced alternates that abound? The schools are allowed to go filthy while children sit in classroom trailer parks. Taxpayers pay taxes expecting their children to go to reasonable public schools. Filthy schools where parents are expected to make up 1/2 or more of the class's technology because CMS opted not to provide it are poorly run. This approach to mismanagement shows cleary, can be smelled a mile away and makes no sense publicly.
Three million to move educrats is nothing. What about all the updates going on at the schools that were not provided for the teachers and students while they were there? What about giving away Midwood for next to nothing after taxpayers spent millions in renovation. We already paid to fix Midwood, but CMS opted to give it away and spend more updating outdated schools. This is blatant mismanagement of tax funds. The problem is not the funding level, it is the outdated planning, capital and operations so called experts who squander taxpayer funds.
Flow chart? Proof positive CMS could give the teachers all 3% of the raise out of existing squandered funds.
10 , 5, 3 whatever we just need new toys ! This group would not know what to do with iPad if they had 10,000 of them anyhow. Bumbling fools I say get rid of them all.
So let me get this straight: my kid's junior year - the most critical one when it comes to signing on for college - was spent with classes filled to 50 all clamoring to get a good view of the promethean board that the PTSO vigorously solicited for, huddled shoulder to shoulder on the nasty floor to eat his lunch, had to negotiate with teachers to get papers he missed when absent because they were limited in the number of copies they were allowed to make, endured rants and bad attitudes from teachers and staff because of their constant dread of cutbacks and layoffs, and rarely had a turn at the few out of date computers that were available and/or operational in the understaffed media center...all so CMS could maneuver the budget to make sure their administrative locations/mistakes could be relocated/renovated and Ipads could be passed out.
Thanks, I understand everything. This is senior year, and we are counting the days until graduation, along with many kids and families who are done with the mismanagement.
If CMS did its basic mission well, I probably would not complain about this. But I can not tell if this is typical of public education in America and all the best we as taxpayers and customers can do is throw up our hands in frustration or they, educrats, merely sit back and laugh how much they can manipulate us and hide behind the lack of accountability they have.
Christine,
I like your premise and you make valid points. I'm not arguing against it, but the $681 for bonus would be subject to FICA, state and other taxes, probably retirement too. That would probably knock the bonus down to $500 or so.
Not saying that makes it unworthy, but pointing out even laudable ideas like this have complications.
Superb story on NBC News last night, "Making a Difference" episode. This teacher celebrated her 100th birthday teaching at a kindergarten in Chicago. She teaches the old fashioned way. The principal and other teachers were telling how her kids are reading by mid year kindergarten and buring through books by end of year. An older student was interviewed about how she has become much more successful understanding the importance of reading this teacher instilled in her.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40153870/vp/46725721#46725721
CMS is rotten to the core. Its staff and elected officials are unethical and liars. When, if ever, will the taxpayers call their hand? Notice I said taxpayers, not the welfare queens who elected the current bunch.
12:43
Teaching the "old-fashioned" way isn't "i-NNOVATIVE".
Jeff @12:14,
I agree that the taxes will take a chunk. But my bigger point was to give those bonuses as a crystal-clear acknowledgement by CMS Staff and the Board that they value the teachers.
This could be in addition to the 3% raises that CMS is asking for from the County.
How many times was it said last night that the budget shows our direction and what we hold important.
Instead of thinking $3 million to move offices (why????) and get iPads (why????) are important, let's show teachers how we feel and give something to THEM.
And I keep forgetting to add that the line item for "High School Class Size adjustment" of $3 million may NOT be all teacher positions. It was discussed last night that the principals will have "freedom and flexibility" to use that position as they please. As Mary McCray pointed out, "if you're going to call it class size adjustments... make it affect the classroom sizes by making a new classroom. Don't call it this and then use it for something other than a teacher position."
Those 2 board members Richard and Joyce who went to a school last week creating havoc should be removed of duty. They violated the boards code of conduct and at a minimum a apology should come forth to the teachers and staff they tried to influence. Their pay should also go to the PR staff that is going to have to spin the story as well. Keep putting that foot in your mouth knuckleheads.
Bottom line, there's $21 million of one-time funds "up for grabs."
Why not use it on the teachers?
...$21 million...8,890 teachers....$2,362.20 each...
Why do they need $500K to train teachers on iPads---4 year olds can figure them out with ease...
Gosh, I WISH CMS would spend 8K a year on each of my kids.
4:00, here is what actually happens. the "trainer" is really a staff position already paid to do this on their salary. The conceivers of the training and the downtown oversight is what this money is for. Loading up on top side, just the usual educrat business model.
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