A version of this story appears in TheDailyNorwalk.com
Drew Todd, a Wolfpit parent, considers himself a newcomer to the Norwalk Public Schools and the budget process. His son is thriving in first grade, he says, but he’s worried about Wolpit’s future. Losing its assistant principal and aides could jeopardize it. “If you cut Mr. Weiss and the aides you are cutting two major cogs of progress in the school,” Todd said at Thursday evening’s Board of Education Finance Committee meeting.
A long week of public meetings to review Norwalk’s Board of Education budget for next year ended with a bang. Hundreds of parents and community members descended on Concert Hall in City Hall wearing their school or team sweatshirts to advocate for programs and staff at risk of the budget chopping block.
Scores of people, including many students and NPS alumni, lined up for their turn at the microphone. They spoke movingly about the importance of the swim teams, the High School to Career program, the Norwalk High School Marching Band. The entire West Rocks PTO board stood up in support of their Assistant Principal and the portable classroom that absorbs overflow in their school.
Amy Newson, Silvermine Elementary School PTO president, had a large cheering section when she underscored the importance of her school’s assistant principal and aides. "Without an assistant principal and aides, I am worried about a loss of responsiveness to parents," she said.
Other parents like Lynn Massey, Brien McMahon Parent’s Club president and Lisa Thomson, president of Red Apples a parent advocacy group, had pointed comments about the need for pay freezes across the district. They urged the unions to open their contracts so that program and staffing cuts might be mitigated.
Steve Colarossi, BOE Finance Committee Chair, asked school administrators about the feasibility of consolidating positions in Central Office, whether programs like the School to Career could be run with one staff member instead of two and whether the swim team budget includes pool maintenance costs. (which need to accounted for regardless of whether there is a swim team or not)
On Tuesday, the BOE is slated to voted on the Superintendent's recommended budget. However, BOE member Jack Chiaramonte reminded the public that none of the cuts would be definite at that point, noting the purpose of sending the budget to the city is to set a cap or maximum allottment for the BOE budget. "There is still a lot of work to be done," Chiaramonte said.
Should the BOE vote of this budget as it stands? What do you think?
Also, for some neighboring town perspective, here's an article, "Wilton Superintendent Warns of Teacher Cuts" on TheDailyWilton.com. They might have to lay off 40-50 teachers and increase class size to 25-26 students.
Friday, January 7, 2011
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Cut all the useless 100K+ administrators.
ReplyDeleteLast night people came out for "their" programs. How many speakers did we really need to hear about the importance of the swim team and HS band? While I applaud those for their efforts and dedication,let us not forget about the first graders who do not have a voice in all of this. They need concerned adults to advocate for their needs!!
ReplyDeleteI hope that more parents will speak to this issue and email BOE members to keep the classroom aides for first graders. Learning to read is the foundation for EVERYTHING else in life. Do not remove that support for those young children.
1:52 you are speaking the truth. Pay as you play solves the swim team and band issues easily.
ReplyDeleteElementary school students thrive on personal attention and one on one learning. Something that is possible only with an additional adult in the classroom. Put the money where it will benefit the students for life right from the beginning so they too can be successful when they are in HS.
That said, if one school gets to keep their aides all schools should. These days every elementary teacher is doing center based, small group differentiated instruction.
Please speak up for those who can't come to the meetings because it is past their bedtime!
Why do ALL the first grade aides have to go? And if there are any teachers/principals/other union employees listening, could we please agree that all we're asking for is a pay freeze? Some of us have NO jobs. I just wish YOU would speak up. YOU not taking a pay freeze means YOU are losing your first grade teachers. YOU think about it, NOT the union. Why the heck, in this economy, can't you agree that this is not the time to demand raises?
ReplyDeleteA lot of teachers understand the situation, and WANT to make concessions like a pay freeze if it will mean giving our students every available opportunity that they deserve! However, we are not listened to. Instead, we have union leader who might say he speaks for all of us but instead doesn't listen to all of us. While I appreciate what he is trying to do, this is not the time to stand firm and not do anything. Please believe me when I say the majority of teachers are absolutely there for the Norwalk students. We believe in them. We WANT to educate them. They deserve nothing but the best. There's nothing that we alone can do though. :(
ReplyDeleteBottom line--There is no money left to soothe all the special interests in this city. In a perfect world, we could all have everything. However, we have not been properly weaned off of the budget realities of other cities in this state. There has been a prevailing mentality that somehow Norwalk is "different" than other municipalities suffering from this economic downturn. The next few years are going to be tough sledding for this district, and there are a lot of folks that are very much in denial, from top level administrators down to the very much needed classroom aides. This,and the next few budgets are very different animals than anyone has ever experienced. Those that will claim otherwise are not leveling with you. If you think the kids get hurt now, work tirelessly on ways to remediate this for the next few years to come.
ReplyDeleteMs. Thomson's "pointed comments about the need for pay freezes across the district" are based on false assumptions and inaccurate data. As she said at the budget meeting last night, "The average teacher, administrator and central office staff member works hard, but at the same time earns 2 to 3 more in wages and benefits than the average Norwalk resident." Not true.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Ms. Thomson incorrectly groups administrators and teachers together as if their salaries were comparable, when in fact school administrators generally earn twice as much as teachers. Her malapropism is like grouping nurses and doctors together into a single income bracket or like telling the hot dog stand owner at Yankee Stadium "you workers and baseball players are making too much money." Her statement unfairly represents teachers and should be retracted.
Second, while she appears to appease teachers and other support staff with her comments about how they "work hard," she belittles them with her sweeping and inaccurate assertions regarding their pay level. We all know that most teachers in Norwalk are breadwinners for their families and are not overpaid or greedy city employees. In fact, the average income level for Norwalk is $45,000, not $25,000, as Ms. Thompson would lead us to believe.
Given the real and challenging budget constraints facing our BOE at this time, we request that Ms. Thomson make true and accurate statements when speaking publicly.
Lisa supported all her facts with source notes and links. She spoke the truth and cares about public education or she would have, could have left. Speaking the truth is not a bad thing just uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible for a Norwalk teacher to be making twice the median income as that would make their salary $120,000 based on the links stated above.Even the most experienced teachers do not receive anywhere near that salary. Most of the teachers are younger now and their salary is at or closer to the median Norwalk salary.I think we are also forgetting that teachers voluntarily spend part of their salary on the students in their classrooms buying,among other things, supplies that aren't provided.
ReplyDeleteThis shouldn't be about the teachers, it should be about the kids and what this community needs to do to make sure they get what they need to succeed. I would be willing to pay a little more in taxes to make sure this happens for the children of Norwalk. Our schools' reputation ties directly into our property values.
Once again,cutting 2 CO administrators pays for all 20+ aides. Ask yourself...Who works with children every single day? Who covers cafeteria duty and recess duty?
ReplyDeleteWe did without a Director of Elementary Education before. This is a fairly new position. Can we afford it now? Does it make any sense? We can look at subject area administrators...can two be half time teachers and half time administrators??? Of course they can. Perhaps all of them can. Be creative!
Yes 9:37 the truth is uncomfortable. Lisa Thomson is not truthful when she speaks. She speaks with her own agenda. She sugarcoats and praises Norwalk teachers and then bashes then in the next breath. She doesn't have the whole story. Teachers are not greedy and pay for MANY things for their classrooms and students out of their own pockets because the BOE does not provide everything they need. And they do it willingly because they care about kids! The big money to balance the budget comes from central office so look there.
ReplyDeleteHow about teachers who bring their kids to the school where they work? Why are teachers allowed to do this? I know for a fact this happens at the elemntary level and it is not right! This takes away from the kids who are at their correct school. All kids should go to their own school--who is appriving this? It does not matter if they are out of town or in town--I disagree that my chld's class size is larger because of a principal who allows staff to bring their kids to out school--nothing against the staff.
ReplyDeleteIt would be convinient for me to move my child to a school closer to my work--BUUT I CAN NOT DO IT? Why should they?
10:40--I agree every child should go to their home school. Is this a district policy? If so, it should change.
ReplyDeleteIf every child should go to their home school then 100's of students would have to be moved from the school they are attending. Many parents apply for a waiver and are allowed to have their child attend a school other than their home school if there is room at the grade level in the school they want to attend. Let's get back to the topic-budget cuts!
ReplyDeleteJust checked: In 2007, the household median income for Norwalk was $70,672; the family median income was $83,695. Using averages for a diverse city with a fair amount of poverty and a relatively high number of elderly masks critical information.
ReplyDeleteI do not understand why no one in the district anticipated this budget problem. Didn't they know the ARA funds would end this year? Why did they hire all the new CO administrators? This summer they hired 3 special ed administrators and instructional specialists for grants and early childhood. This is in addition to the position of Director of elementary Ed. Now they want to cut programs and staff that work directly with kids. I think that the prosposal to combine jobs at CO makes alot of sense.
ReplyDeleteI agree 2:07, however, are these teachers' children who are attending school with them from out of town? If so, this impacts my child and their education.....If there are 6 kids in third grade who would be attending another school--but attend my child's school--my child could have a smaller class size.
ReplyDeleteWhy are all these "waivers" being issued? Who says yes and on what grounds? I diagree with this notion-Moina, can we start a blog on this. Would love to see what people and board of ed members think on this.
4:33-you hit the nail on the head--why didn't anyone inthe district see this coming?
Bruce Kimmel gets the numbers right again, as does 6:20. Teachers earn a living wage. Once again, we need to focus instead on the value added (or not) of our highly paid administrators.
ReplyDeleteIn an effort to cut expenses, let's also take a hard look at spending habits, not just salaries. For example, drive by our brightly lit schools any night and just imagine the incredible utility bill they rack up. Or, calculate the money wasted on over-heated classrooms with open windows to bring the temperature down to a livable level for students.
Let's tighten the budget and use the same common sense in managing our schools that we practice in our own homes.
5:03 -Teachers who live out of town are allowed(should they want to) as a Professional Courtesy to send their children a Norwalk school the Board assigns them to, most of the time the school the teacher is teaching in. Teachers who live in town HAD been allowed to do this as well under every superintendant until Dr. Corda. Why should a teacher who lives out of town and doesn't pay taxes have an advantage over a Norwalk teacher who does pay taxes? Norwalk teachers who live in town must also apply for the waiver as does every parent. The people in Central Office make the decision based on numbers. Teachers who live in Norwalk and pay taxes do not have Professional Courtesy. Just as all parents have the same rights regarding this policy all teachers should have the same rights and should be granted Professional Courtesy.
ReplyDeleteI disagree--there are 4 children that I know of at Marvin right now in the 2nd grade that are "out of district" so my child has 4 more students on her grade level (again that I know of) because of this. Plus, these children may have siblings that also attend. Unfair!! There second grade classes are about 22 each....they are big classes. If the classes were smaller, then I would not care so much, but I DO NOT think this should continue.
ReplyDeleteSorry to get off topic--but this is a concern--what do others think?
My response to 4:33 is Yes! the Board knew, Central Office knew. Even Dr. Marks knew these funds would be ending when she hired additional Central Office staff.
ReplyDeleteIt was easier for the majority of the Board to bury their heads in the sand last year(and with the new hires since Dr. Marks came) and hope for a miracle this year.
Regarding CO staff as far as I can tell the Director of Elementary Ed and the Instuctional Supevisors are MIA. Why do we need them if we never see them in the buildings,or receive any type of communication from them? We have been able to move this district forward without these positions being filled in the past.
Let's get rid of or combine CO positions that we can live without so the point of service providers (the schools) can have what they need to function day to day without impacting learning.
Agreed! The CO administrators do little or NOTHING to enhance the programs at the building level. In fact, the director of Elementary Ed has never sent information via email, paper or a visit to classrooms nor has she EVER presented a workshop or conducted a meeting to support the elementary staff! What does she do? Does anyone know?
ReplyDeleteYes. The Director of Elementary Education has not been known to do anything for elementary education. She is protected by the superintendent for some unknown reason. We have a teacher's pet with this superintendent!
ReplyDeleteShe is unnecessary as she doesn't have a clue about the elementary schools. As far as we know, she has never taught in an elementary school, nor has she been a principal in one. Come on! Credibility for Director of Elementary Education is just not there!!!!!
I agree with 6:28 and 6:40--let's get rid of these positions that do not impact stduents!! If no one seems to know what you do--you are not making any impact! Are there any BOE members reading this blog??? They should.
ReplyDeleteWhat all our budget issues--there should no longer be Professional Courtesies or children being allowed a waiver--everyone needs to go tot heir home school. Sorry, I disagree--i can't bring my child to the town where I work b/c it is more convient for me, why should others?
ReplyDeleteBOE members are you reading these comments?
ReplyDeleteI have an idea. How about those teachers pay the per pupil allotment if they want to send their students to school in Norwalk? Why should Norwalk foot the bill for their child?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many members of the BOE (including current members) don't read national news and apparently had not idea that there was a national recession. At one meeting, they responded in disbelief when a parent asked about their bugeting decisions in light of the economic downturn.
ReplyDeleteI agree--let's have the teachers pay for their child to attend our schools......but why is it continuing to happen? I do not think it is fair for our children to have increased class sizes at some schools because of the politics of waivers---I am sure that it is selective where parents want their childrent o go--so they are picking the better performing schools and getting away with it. Steve, you read and comment on this blog, can you bring this up???
ReplyDeleteYes, 5:52 makes a point. It is unfair to have out-of-district teachers get special treatment vs. in-town teachers. But come on guys, we know where there the real problem lies. Year after year teachers report out-of-district students to their principal, and nothing gets done!
ReplyDeleteThe saga continues..... The Bridgeport mother who wants to insulate her child from the ills of the Bridgeport School System drops off her child at a Norwalk school on the way to work, often a few minutes late (a red flag, however usually ignored). If you talk to the teachers, they will tell you they know of more than a handful of students from Bridgeport. How hard can it be to have a retired cop or teacher follow students and document where they live? I bet there are about 100 Bridgeporters getting educated in Norwalk; that figure might be on the very low end.
Any administrators out there, or BOE members, who wish to explain why this is covered up, year after year?
3 years ago a parent hired a private investigator to follow and document Bridgeport residents getting on the train/bus and walking over and attend Norwalk high school. The video was presented to Sal Corda and he said "they are all graduating at the end of the year so the problem will go away".
ReplyDeleteAt $11,000 per student I think we can recoup at least $1M right here.
Interesting comment about the video. It is true there are, have been and will continue to be out of district students. This has never been fully addressed, but continues to be swept under the rug along with re-districting to address class sizes.Nobody wants to go there!
ReplyDeleteProfessional courtesy to Norwalk teachers living in or out of district is a
totally different issue.
So the question becomes--will our new super continue to let it get swept under the carpet? All stduenst need to go to their home school. Anyone listening? This can save our distrcit a lot or money!!
ReplyDeleteWe need to look in our own backyard for solutions. I know many families who have students at Side by Side Community School. It is a public charter school and is open to anyone in Fairfield County. They have small classes (less than 20 kids per class) with TWO teachers in EVERY classroom. They have Smartboards in every classroom and give all their 6th through 8th graders their own laptops and mp3 players. They are constantly taking field trips. They get less per pupil than any of the other schools because they don't get local funds. They were recently ranked 7th in the State. How are they doing this with less?? And why can't we do this in our schools in the same town.
ReplyDeleteOne of the comittees Dr. Marks created was an 'Out-of-district' team. It involves several Admin, teachers and Parents. It should be their job in looking into this. They need to review the 'perk' out of district teachers have in bringing their child to Norwalk, students coming to Norwalk with incorrect information, review such 'tape' or assessments done by the investigator, etc..
ReplyDelete6:47, Side by Side can keep their numbers to 20 in a class because they don't have to let everyone in! Who provides Special Ed. services to the students there? Do they have their own teachers and therapists that they pay for? Or are they paid for by other funds? Those services cost Norwalk schools a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the place to advertise Side by Side. There is no comparison to a school who, I have heard, sends students back to the public schools if they (SBS) can't handle them.
ReplyDeleteAnother situation that occurs to cause out of district numbers:
ReplyDeleteEvery time a school fails to meet AYP for 2 years in a row, vouchers are offered and often are used just by the parents who wanted to be in an out of district school in the first place. Those waivers remain even after the school has met AYP and safe harbor so we have many out of district students due to NCLB, especially at schools like Marvin, Naramake and Rowayton - all of them have out of district voucher students.
Then this needs to be addressed--Marvin has these granted waivers --so they should not allow their teachers to bring their kids to our school--our numbers are too high!! The second grade is a great example of that--22 kids in each of 4 rooms. That is too many!! We need to look at numbers before a waiver is accepted. Is it the principal that makes that agreement? This is taking away from my child.
ReplyDeleteWe need a BOE that can CUT the 40% of education spending siphoned by ADMISTRATION.
ReplyDelete