You Won't Believe This One!

Keep those reports coming in! The ones I have received so far are thoughtful, insightful, and very informative. Quite frankly I was not aware that the wasteful spending was so widespread and accepted. Drop the surgeons knife and get out a meat cleaver, there's lots of fat to trim from this turkey.

I have been made aware of a new job being created in the school district. I know you are saying why are they creating new jobs when they are facing a huge budget deficit? Your guess is as good as mine but I feel it is related to the fact the district administration and the school board are poster children for "Clueless." In any case they have posted this new job regardless of the economic climate. As unreasonable as this sounds the description of the job is so silly it borders on ridiculous. No job could have responsibilities this far apart and be taken seriously.

The title of the position is "COORDINATOR OF ACADEMIC AND OPERATIONAL SERVICES". Just by this title it appears it is a regurgitation of the old AG (Academically Gifted) position school districts had years ago. Seems simple enough? Nooooooooooo. Just go ahead and read the description and responsibilities. Yes it is the old AG position with all the related paperwork and responsibilities but with a new twist. This new administrator in addition to the AG job will also be the district security coordinator! How bizarre is this? So besides overseeing the AG program this person will also oversee be responsible for all district security officers, crisis plans and training, security monitoring equipment, and serve as a liaison with the police department. I cannot think of any two jobs that are farther apart then this one. So I guess they want a security guard from the MENSA Institute?

This is but another example of a system that is completely broken. How out of whack does an organization have to be to design a job like this? Oh but it only gets better. The education requirements are as follows:
"Graduation from an accredited undergraduate program in education. Master’s degree in education administration or a related field is preferred. Must hold or be eligible for licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia with Administration and Supervision PreK-12 (or equivalent) endorsement. Minimum of five (5) years of successful, increasingly responsible experience in education (teaching or administration); experience in teaching/ administration in secondary education (grades 8-12). Combination of education and experience may suffice for the above".

Now whats missing from this? How about any experience, education, or knowledge in security management? I guess the Concrete Queens feel that anybody can do the job, heck it only affects safeguarding the children. Whats more important is that the right parents get their children in the AG program! This is the most callous job description ever designed. But should we expect anything else? This is the same district that has an assistant superintendent with no practical education or experience in technology management running the IT department!

This job description reeks of political cronyism. I will make a prediction. This job was designed for someone already in the school system who is 1) failing at their current job, 2) having their job cut so the district can say they trimmed administrators, or 3) one of the new "chosen" people. My money is on the belief that some school administrator or central office hack will miraculously land in this job. Or perhaps another retiring administrator in North Carolina needs a job? This is where we now breed our new administrators isn't it? At an annual salary of $52,000 to $88,000 it is a golden parachute. So lets be sure to cut some teachers so we can afford this..........

It borders on malpractice that this is allowed to continue. The school board should be thrown out by irate citizens who can now see how callously their tax dollars are being wasted. The public, especially those with students in the system, should be angered that the security of their children is being relagated to someone who does not even have to have one course in school security or crisis management. Much of this has come about, according to inside sources, because the district has been lax in updating crisis plans and school safety audits. As people in Littleton, Colorado found out this week school security is not to be taken lightly. Shame on you DPS!

Budget Cuts 2010-The Chicken Comes Home To Roost

Now that the free ride DPS has enjoyed over the last few years has ended it is time to see just what the administration at the central office can come up with in the way of budget cuts. I’m not expecting too much since no one in the ice palace has ANY experience in trimming a budget. They have been feeding so long at the public trough, hoodwinking the city council, that it will be interesting to see if they even know where to begin. The school board hasn’t a clue, they have proved that time and time again. It is so easy to deceive them that it would come as no surprise that they are sitting there staring at the ceiling wondering what needs to be done.
A logical step (oops no hope there…..) would be to get input from the front line troops. But of course the queens would never do that, it makes too much sense. And we all know what happens to common sense in DPS.
Well since DPS can’t seem to do it I am encouraging teachers, employees, parents, and plain citizens to write in with ideas of how to cut the budget. Send your suggestions to savetheschools2@aol.com and they will be reviewed, evaluated, and the best ones printed in a future blog. As always your names will be protected since we all know how DPS central administrators respond to being upstaged (off with their heads…..). The deadline will be March 1 so they can be read through and evaluated prior to the school board meeting again.
So that’s your homework folks. It’s a shame you have to do it but no one else will. Remember that the only way true savings can be attained is by eliminating programs and PEOPLE. Eighty percent of the budget is located in those areas and only twenty percent is in materials and fixed costs (utilities, etc.).
Get writing and submit your ideas. Remember the budget must be cut and the Concrete Castle Yahoos are not up to the task simply because they don’t understand the task! Keep your responses to three or four of the most important cuts. Remember “DPS----An Underachieving School District”.

LATE REPORT
A school board member is now running for city council. Hmmm lets get this straight if you are a failure at one job that qualifies you for another? Might as well run for Congress…they have the same philosophy. Please citizens of Danville, don’t let this cancer spread. Cut it out now. I suggest a new bumper sticker “DPS---Screwing Up Education since 2000”. I’m sure they would soon be sold out………………