D.C. schools plans to cut 660 jobs

[Anonymous]

D.C. school officials told 660 teachers and school staffers that their jobs have been scrapped for the upcoming school year, blaming fluctuations in enrollment and school finances.

"Given reductions in many local school budgets for 2011-12, approximately 660 employees across the school system received excess notices this week, effective at the end of the school year," said Fred Lewis, a spokesman for Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

D.C. Public Schools, which has about 4,000 teachers and 2,300 support staff, declined to release a breakdown of positions cut at each school.

But even schools expecting both more students and more cash next year were forced to cut positions as part of the school system's annual excessing process.

Sources at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Northwest said that at least 13 positions had been eliminated. According to DCPS' proposed fiscal 2012 budget, Ellington is expecting 60 more students and an additional $674,000 in funding next year.

Lewis stressed that excessing is not the same as a typical layoff. "Excessed employees have the opportunity to seek employment at other schools, and historically, many are 'picked up' by other principals who have vacancies," he said.

Janet Peachey, who teaches music theory at Ellington, said she was offered a part-time position for about one-third of the pay and no benefits. "I'm not really interested in working in another school -- there's no other school where I'd be able to do what I do," she said.

Anne Veigle, who lives in Arlington, pays out-of-boundary tuition to send her 12th-grade son to Ellington's music program. "We are so impressed with the program there, and we've been extremely happy with the education there, but a cut of that size feels like it's cutting to the bone," Veigle said.

Sources at School Without Walls said the top-performing magnet is losing at least four positions, including three teachers, for the next school year. Walls is set to serve 63 more students while taking a $320,490 hit.

An e-mail notifying an excessed Walls teacher obtained by The Washington Examiner reads: "Annually, it is necessary for District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) to equalize staff assignments to be in alignment with student enrollment. As a result of this equalization, your current position has been removed from the ... staffing plan effective June 17, 2011."

Kamel Igoudjil, a humanities instructor at Walls, said he is "absolutely" planning to fight the elimination of his teaching position. "This is not acceptable to me."

[Anonymous]

How is this possible when DCPS central admin is increasing their budget this year??!!

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any insight on what schools/positions?

[Anonymous]

At one school in particular they were told to re-apply for their positions. Which means there is a vacancy and if one is told that they are excessed but able to be rehired, then what is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At one school in particular they were told to re-apply for their positions. Which means there is a vacancy and if one is told that they are excessed but able to be rehired, then what is it?

This might be a NCLB failing school reorganization, rather than directly related to the budget cuts.

[Anonymous]

How does this plan jive with the plan to reinstate 75 dismissed teachers under Rhee with back pay?

[Anonymous]

"This might be a NCLB failing school reorganization, rather than directly related to the budget cuts."

Yes, it is because of NCLB - One teacher at Johnson Middle School said the entire staff had been excessed because the school will be reconstituted under the No Child Left Behind law.

[Anonymous]

It's interesting how Central Administration has grown under Rhee and Henderson. The number of central office employees is higher now than any year since 1981, when we had twice as many students!! DCPS is supposed to receive an additional 77 million for 2012, yet local school allocations are being cut back. Henderson is worse than Rhee and has no understanding of how a budget works. Rhee had no understanding of how to stick to a budget and overspent. Now we're paying for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"This might be a NCLB failing school reorganization, rather than directly related to the budget cuts."

Yes, it is because of NCLB - One teacher at Johnson Middle School said the entire staff had been excessed because the school will be reconstituted under the No Child Left Behind law.

But Walls isn't a failing school, so why the reduction in staff when the student population is growing?

[Anonymous]

The principal at Barnard said that she is very grateful to not be losing any staff in this round of layoffs. They are only losing about 3 teachers this year, according to her they are voluntary departures. She didn't say what plans they have to replace them of which teachers are leaving.

[Anonymous]

Dumb question here. Is this in addition to elimination of all tech positions and non-teaching staff or is this what we've already heard from schools? Sorry. Didn't read the article. tia

[Anonymous]

This is old news - the budget cuts were announced awhile ago.

And to the pp claiming that the central office is employing more people than before Rhee, and that Rhee overspent, please provide some evidence.

[Anonymous]

PP - old news to some is new news to others. I mean the press is reporting like they just caught wind of this too. I guess you were in the room when the decisions were made thus the novelty has worn off for you.

Hen-Rhee, is that you?!

[Anonymous]

The budgets were released a while back but excessing notices were just sent out.

[Anonymous]

bump...any news on this?