tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post7708783491206961368..comments2023-10-23T09:23:22.051-04:00Comments on Your Schools: Layoff list: Is it cruel?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-20253107230931324142010-07-25T23:02:56.915-04:002010-07-25T23:02:56.915-04:00@ 9:28,Getting mad at teachers does not should you...@ 9:28,Getting mad at teachers does not should your problems. I am sure that teachers can go and do otherjobs. What about you? How well rounded are you. Teacher do not have it better than no other working person. Educate yourself about the eudcational system.<br /><br />This is why you should have paid attention in school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-41452009069974080272010-07-25T22:57:38.187-04:002010-07-25T22:57:38.187-04:00According to 9:28, we should just let anyone teach...According to 9:28, we should just let anyone teach, heck why dont we just teach our own kids then we will not need teachers! It'll never happen my friend.<br /><br />Let's take a look...the education process needs teachers to help educate our country. Some of you forget teachers help provide the foundation for every idea and decisions made in this country.<br /><br />People blame Obama for evrything....it proves the more things change..the more they stay the same.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-82404121493843798662010-07-25T21:28:42.686-04:002010-07-25T21:28:42.686-04:00Am I suppossed to care whether a teacher is laid o...Am I suppossed to care whether a teacher is laid off. What makes a teacher believe he/she is so special that they are not suppossed to be immune from economic times. After all, their union thugs and Obama got this country in the mess it is in. Teachers- I COULD CARE LESS whether you loose you job, YOU did not cry for me when I was laid off. Play back is a BI*CH isn't it!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-59005480373025345912010-07-23T10:10:22.238-04:002010-07-23T10:10:22.238-04:00I'm curious to know...what is the process of c...I'm curious to know...what is the process of calling back laid-off teachers? There are several teachers that were laid-off with several years of proven success in the classroom. No phone call yet!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-80009745000441730232010-07-07T17:56:37.037-04:002010-07-07T17:56:37.037-04:00Not enough classroom coverage? Guilty. It's a ...Not enough classroom coverage? Guilty. It's a perennial frustration.<br />No positive teacher stories? Not true. Did front-pagers on Hopewell's Cindy Rudolph winning a $25K award (November), Waddell's Tamica Stubbs piling up awards and honors (March) and Billingsville's Shanna Rae being featured in a documentary honoring CMS teachers (May). Also, every graduation profile I wrote cited teachers who had made a difference.Ann Doss Helmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03511764376105157616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-51920571291686078732010-07-07T09:30:29.233-04:002010-07-07T09:30:29.233-04:00Physics teacher - $46,000.
Math teacher - $34,00...Physics teacher - $46,000. <br />Math teacher - $34,000. <br />Science teacher - $34,000. <br /><br />U.S. ranked 25th place in Science, Engineering, Technology and Math. <br /><br />Priceless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-77000576556875867122010-07-07T05:46:29.201-04:002010-07-07T05:46:29.201-04:00I find it interesting that Ann Helms, who cannot f...I find it interesting that Ann Helms, who cannot find a positive story or teacher in CMS during the school year, has mixed emotions about putting people in the unfortunate position of being laid off on this site for everyone to see. How about writing about the hard work teachers commit to year round BEFORE they have cuts - maybe then someone in this county might actually care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-40491959602225113542010-07-07T00:31:05.147-04:002010-07-07T00:31:05.147-04:00you can thank your precious NCAE or SEICU unions f...you can thank your precious NCAE or SEICU unions for the layoffs...keep voting for the enconomic D.A. democrats who can't run a budget. if you voted for perdue, you have no one to blame but yourself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-85605049718452999512010-07-06T11:51:18.476-04:002010-07-06T11:51:18.476-04:00Catching up after the holiday weekend: On the &quo...Catching up after the holiday weekend: On the "whistleblowers forum" idea, that's tricky. I get a fair number of anonymous calls about bad principals. Because personnel records are private under NC law, it's very tough to document whether someone is or isn't getting bad performance reviews and whether CMS is or isn't taking action.<br />And while I'm sympathetic to the problems a bad princpal can cause for teachers, students and families, I wouldn't set up a forum for anonymous public attacks on principals (or anyone else).<br />If anyone has ideas for an effective and professional way to deal with such concerns, I'm interested.Ann Doss Helmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03511764376105157616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-19173021320554970182010-07-06T09:58:20.850-04:002010-07-06T09:58:20.850-04:00"Why isn't Gorman pushing to hire NC Teac..."Why isn't Gorman pushing to hire NC Teaching Fellows?"<br /><br />Excellent question! I spent an entire year supporting a TFA this year because she was ill prepared to teach. This would not be a problem if she were going to stay in education, but she has already begun applying for grad school!<br /><br />Ann, why didn't Gorman cut language arts and math facilitators before cutting teachers? These educators are certified to teach and could easily move back into a teaching position.<br /><br />It seems as if Gorman has it out for teachers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-65583074789484005472010-07-05T23:05:32.683-04:002010-07-05T23:05:32.683-04:00Regardless of your views, cruel, not cruel, deserv...Regardless of your views, cruel, not cruel, deserved or not, the real effect of these cuts over the last couple of years will be felt for years. The first year teachers that have been laid off over the last two years would have been the faculty leaders of the future. They would have been leaders of departments, clubs, and coaches. The TFA replacements are only planning to be there for 2 years. Are they really going to be that involved with the schools? There is a huge difference between those who choose to make their career in a field and those who see it as "something to do before my real job." The capabilities of the TFA are not the problem (though I have my doubts about how prepared these people will be to teach), but how involved can someone be if they know that they will be leaving after two years?<br />"Dr." Gorman has done a great job of making sure that the heart of the school system has been cut out. Mr. Gorman removed a large number of dedicated teachers from a school system that desperately needs them. He has shown the rest that dedication and hard work may not save your job. In fact, he has gone out of his way to disparage those who make the effort to become better teachers, i.e., citing a study that claimed that there was "no significant difference between teachers that were certified as "highly qualified" and those that were not. Is it any wonder that morale in CMS is so low? And that so many are running for the door as soon they can find a job in another school system? These problems are not new, but the actions of Mr. Gorman and the school board will be felt for many years and hurt untold numbers of students as they pass through a broken system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-159556195928528852010-07-05T22:59:40.795-04:002010-07-05T22:59:40.795-04:00Not what I wanted to hear. My oldest daughter, Ar...Not what I wanted to hear. My oldest daughter, Ardrey Kell 2010 grad, starts at App this fall on a Teaching Fellowship Scholarship.....elementary Ed with a minor in music....<br /><br />dj/App DadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-35233172211610970662010-07-05T12:38:12.165-04:002010-07-05T12:38:12.165-04:00I couldn't agree with you more. I am a Teachin...I couldn't agree with you more. I am a Teaching Fellow and recent graduate, and I have had absolutely no luck in finding a job. Some principals are completely clueless about what a Teaching Fellow is. <br /><br />It's completely unfair that we are required to teach for four years, or else pay back this scholarship, but they provide us with no job search support.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-55565549824963506632010-07-05T10:00:44.426-04:002010-07-05T10:00:44.426-04:00Why isn't Gorman pushing to hire NC Teaching F...Why isn't Gorman pushing to hire NC Teaching Fellows? These graduating teachers have been committed to teaching since they were in high school, attended state universities, received 4 years of preperation for the teaching profession (vs. 1 summer of prep for TFAs), and are committed to the state for 4 year (as opposed to 2). Teaching Fellow teachers go on to become the leaders education and will remain in our schools long past their obligation. Not to mention, there is no extra fee for there usage- they simply are committed to teaching. I don't have a Ph.D, but to me this seems like a no brainer-<br /><br />I would like to find out if there are any Teaching Fellows on the layoff list and how may are currently teaching in CMS!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-19152907840078505462010-07-04T18:05:47.672-04:002010-07-04T18:05:47.672-04:00It is true that earlier this year teacher assistan...It is true that earlier this year teacher assistants were informed via the cms budget bulletin that they were not on the layoff list due to the fact that many ta's were laid off last year. However, that later was changed by cms and once again ta's were hit hard this year. One other thing that Ann needs to look into is how cms is cutting the work hours of ta's next year but are trying to hide this in their budget scenarios. We have not yet been told by anyone from cms administation about this but our principal was informed of this near the end of the school year. Not only are teacher assistants some of the lowest paid employees in cms but we have taken big hits with layoffs the past two years and now we are facing to what amounts to a 6% pay cut due to our hours being cut next year. Not a good way to treat your employees who are on the front lines teaching the lowest performing children every hour of every day. Ask any classroom teacher and they will tell you they value the help and knowledge that a teacher assistant brings to their classroom every day.commonsensehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16701415903262406212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-65134821554670844922010-07-04T13:44:28.759-04:002010-07-04T13:44:28.759-04:00Is it assumed that every teacher in a classroom is...Is it assumed that every teacher in a classroom is an incredibly effective educator? I've seen first hand how dismal the performance of some teachers have been. Why do we assume every teacher who gets layed off is a shining star? <br /><br />Look at the scores in CMS. Every teacher is not an All Star. Some need to be fired. Why do we protect teachers so much? Why are they holier than thou? If anything we should hold them to a higher standard. <br /><br />And yes, I am a teacher.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-48275338040888094042010-07-04T13:41:02.763-04:002010-07-04T13:41:02.763-04:00In reference to TFA teachers not being effective:
...In reference to TFA teachers not being effective:<br /><br />http://www.urban.org/publications/411642.html<br /><br />Also, while teaching in CMS I don't recall teachers banging down the doors of Wilson, JT Williams, Spaugh, West Charlotte/Meck for jobs. Everyone seemed OK for 1st year TFA teachers to take those jobs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-63334895686960426582010-07-03T22:45:28.447-04:002010-07-03T22:45:28.447-04:00Even though Gorman promised that teachers would be...Even though Gorman promised that teachers would be laid off based on performance, the opposite was done. It's clear the majority of people on this list were first year teachers with no real chance to prove themselves. There are plenty of more experienced Career-Status teachers who SHOULD have been laid off but let's face it - it would have been a lot of extra paperwork and effort for the principals. Since administrators are moved around so often in CMS, why should they actually try to fix the schools by spending the extra time to get rid of the experienced teachers who are basically dead weight with better contracts? Because really, if first year teachers truly were the worst of the bunch, why would Gorman continue to bring in hundreds of TFA recruits who will only stay for two years on their way to law school? And where are the the principals who should be on this list?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-18346735446811589512010-07-03T21:43:57.146-04:002010-07-03T21:43:57.146-04:00A newspaper reporter shares a great burden for mai...A newspaper reporter shares a great burden for maintaining democracy. That is why the press is called the 4th Estate. <br /><br />The other three estates; judicial, legislative and executive each have the role of checking each's excesses. Without the media's access to all but the most sensitive information there can be no way to keep those three honest.<br /><br />I count on the press to alert me to what my government is doing, but I recognize even the media has a responsiblity to measure its thoughts before speaking. One of those times is when a person risk all to tell a reporter something that is critical to the community. The other is when harm may be done - as when release of victims' names that may cause severe psychological harm. The list of CMS employees doesn't fall within these bounds.<br /><br />I agree that the list of names serve little purpose as concerns the CMS budget. But I feel just as strongly that the whole CMS story needs to be known. <br /><br />Bolyn McClung<br />PinevilleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-77508863573113851612010-07-03T21:43:23.196-04:002010-07-03T21:43:23.196-04:00A newspaper reporter shares a great burden for mai...A newspaper reporter shares a great burden for maintaining democracy. That is why the press is called the 4th Estate. <br /><br />The other three estates; judicial, legislative and executive each have the role of checking each's excesses. Without the media's access to all but the most sensitive information there can be no way to keep those three honest.<br /><br />I count on the press to alert me to what my government is doing, but I recognize even the media has a responsiblity to measure its thoughts before speaking. One of those times is when a person risk all to tell a reporter something that is critical to the community. The other is when harm may be done - as when release of victims' names that may cause severe psychological harm. The list of CMS employees doesn't fall within these bounds.<br /><br />I agree that the list of names serve little purpose as concerns the CMS budget. But I feel just as strongly that the whole CMS story needs to be known. <br /><br />Bolyn McClung<br />PinevilleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-83626070692629306142010-07-03T13:39:38.622-04:002010-07-03T13:39:38.622-04:00Personal attacks on Ann for publishing the list ar...Personal attacks on Ann for publishing the list are unjustified. Many times she and I have disagreed on issues but I have no doubt she publishes some news with mixed emotions. Teachers know their employment and salaries are public information--no one is violating their privacy or releasing this information without their permission--that was part of the deal when they signed on to teach. djAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-13965687998670756482010-07-03T09:54:15.453-04:002010-07-03T09:54:15.453-04:00Myers Park High School lost a lot more teachers th...Myers Park High School lost a lot more teachers than shown. The list does not cover teachers transferred away or who gave up their jobs to spare other people.<br /><br />The teachers who are moving were generally not transferred to high poverty schools. They mostly went to schools that are demographically as good as Myers Park. I feel lucky to not be one of them, but I also feel like MPHS has been targeted to be "taken down a notch," when the reality is that we have done as well as we have mainly by working closely together and having a culture of long hours. We have a principal who is like a Japanese car engineer; he has everyone finding ways to make the school work better.<br /><br />We had the higher number of IB students, but overall, the students we had coming in did not look any better than several other high schools.<br /><br />So it seems the reward for that is to be dismantled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-29937087038245774772010-07-03T08:40:37.840-04:002010-07-03T08:40:37.840-04:00I am glad you publish the names....it give a "...I am glad you publish the names....it give a "face" to each one of those teachers and the public sees that this mess is "real". I am a teacher but was not on the list....today is my birthday and I am so grateful. How much longer can teachers work under the "hammer of lay offs" yet continue to be upbeat, positive and promote the best education possible for their students? I am praying for each and every one of those laid off to find peace and a job!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-9633489434822068262010-07-03T08:10:56.026-04:002010-07-03T08:10:56.026-04:00"Ask ANYONE who teaches and, if s/he is able ..."Ask ANYONE who teaches and, if s/he is able to speak candidly, s/he would tell you stories of lousy and downright horrible administrators who run their schools like little fiefdoms, abusing teachers at will because they think that no one will stop them, least of all CMS Central Office. Please Ms. Helms; please start some kind of conversation where teachers can share this kind of information."<br />The problem is we in CMS cannot speak candidly, or our name would be on this list in a heartbeat. Ann, we need a "whistleblowers forum" where we can be assured of no retribution. Please help, and yes, the truth should be known by all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-44821698640689153172010-07-03T02:35:51.457-04:002010-07-03T02:35:51.457-04:00I think it is wrong to publish the layoff list and...I think it is wrong to publish the layoff list and you do it only to justify your own job. Publishing this list, like publishing CMS employee salaries, just adds insult to injury. <br /><br />Please remember that what goes around comes around. Therefore, let us hope that you never experience a lay-off and having your business publicly revealed to everyone without your permission.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com