[Durham INC] Fw: Why no upper level admin cuts?

[Melissa Rooney]

Just want to clarify -- by no means do I mean that principals are not front 
line. When I am talking about the need to address cuts (or lack thereof) in 
upper level management, I mean the central office. Our principal easily does the 
job of three people. I don't know how he does it. I have seen at least one asst. 
principal who did not *seem* to do much besides organize transportation (which 
admittedly is a big job), but our school lost this position a couple years back. 
A school like Creekside, which has over 800 kids, definitely needs more than one 
principal leading/overseeing it. 

My biggest concern is the national trend to add employees at the top (i.e. on 
the central, county level) while cutting those on the front lines -- those who 
work in the individual schools, including our principals. I have seen 
secretarial staff assisting in classrooms....anyone who works in an actual 
school is likely to be hands-on.

Melissa




________________________________
From: Pat Carstensen <pats1717 at hotmail.com>
To: darius.m.little at alumni.unc.edu; Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>; 
inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org; inc listserv <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
Sent: Sun, May 8, 2011 11:41:39 AM
Subject: RE: [Durham INC] Fw: Why no upper level admin cuts?

 I would like to address the idea that principals are not "front line."  In 
addition to all the administration stuff (some necessary, like budgets, and 
probably a lot simply monkey work), they do a lot of work with individual kids 
(ask any kid at Brogden what they think of Ms. Trapp);  there is still a lot of 
dread of "getting sent to the principal's office."  The principals also do a lot 
of PR (any normal organization with hundreds of external contacts would have 3 
people working on external relations).  How many other white collar jobs are 
there where you have 2 people managing 50 employees (more or less what Creekside 
has);  if we had anything like a normal management structure we wouldn't be 
stuck trying to use testing to evaluate how good a job the teacher is doing.

Regards, pat

> To: mmr121570 at yahoo.com; inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org; inc-list at durhaminc.org
> From: Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu
> Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 15:12:07 +0000
> Subject: Re: [Durham INC] Fw: Why no upper level admin cuts?
> 
> INC'ers:
> 
> It is important to seriously digest the points which Melissa has raised.  Also, 
>Melissa is to be commended for aggressively keeping-up with matters related to 
>the School System.  Each year she is a steady source of information.
> 
> I've personally been busy in Raleigh, at the NC Legislature, making citizen 
>remarks about (1) Redistricting and (2) Unemployment Benefits for Our Citizens. 
>Some of you attended the Redictricting Meeting locally in Durham; and there have 
>also been hearings in Raleigh, which encouraged citizen comment and 
>presentation.  I'll note, Senator Floyd McKissick has been at EVERY hearing I've 
>attended, so he too is to be commended for his advocacy.
> 
> Back to the local School System:
> 
> (A) Melissa has address pay issues, but I'd like to address 2 additional 
>matters:
> 
> (A1) Of the 54 schools, 26 of them have had changes in leadership.  While 
>change is expected to occur after a shake-up in the Superintendent Position, 
>there has not been this type of "pay" inconsistency in quite a while.  Most of 
>the new leaders are not Durham Residents, but are from Guilford and other 
>Counties, and are paid much more than their predecessors, who were Durham 
>residents. 
>
> 
> Yet, the school system is demanding increases in taxes, and the elimination of, 
>as Melissa pointed-out, "hands on" educational positions.  Meanwhile, there have 
>been no proposals to decrease pay for top level positions of our school system.  
>Such inconsistencies cannot be allowed and I'd strongly implore fellow INC'ers 
>to stay on the School Board, as well as the County Commissioners, in how they 
>accept, or modify, this budget.
> 
> I definitely expected better creativity in this year's budget and must agree 
>with Melissa: it's more of the same shenanigans.
> 
> - Darius
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----------------------------
> Darius M. Little
> Executive Business Consultant and Strategic Marketing Analyst
> Cell: 919-641-4124
> 
> Web: www.linkedin.com/in/dariuslittle
> 
> Manta Business Profile/Report: 
>http://www.manta.com/c/mtlwj1m/little-s-business-consulting-and-mediations
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>
> Sender: inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org
> Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 07:09:02 
> To: <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
> Subject: [Durham INC] Fw: Why no upper level admin cuts?
> 
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