Thoughts on Rex's Address
State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex spoke yesterday via a virtual conference (broadcast over ETV.org) about South Carolina's budget crisis.
Hot topics included the possibility of teachers and administrators being put on furlough for up to five days, salary cuts (for administrators and teachers (including those who are National Board Certified), cutting back on mid-year testing, and releasing state funding for classroom expenses.
I missed the conference at its original airtime thanks to my Furman errand, so I had to catch it late last night.
Initially, I didn't feel like Rex gave any straight answers to some of those pending issues detailed above. Probably because there aren't any, at least not while the economy remains in flux as we await President Obama's upcoming stimulus plan.
I get the feel that he wants to raise teacher salaries to a reasonable level (where it is right now is absolutely pitiful), and yet he also wants to give school districts the option of putting teachers on furlough for up to (and possibly exceeding) five days. In his own words, even if he were to lay off the entire educational work force, that wouldn't be enough to erode the $330 million in funding lost to our eroding economy.
I worry that he's more concerned with short-term solutions rather than the long-term. How long is long enough for a furlough? And what about the ramifications? Personally, I doubt I'd want to risk the future of my career on a stop-gap that may extend past my tenure as a superintendent.
Rex claims that ADEPT is doing "well." I'd debate that, but he didn't go into enough details. If he thinks an overhaul of school accountability measures is necessary to ensure that high quality (or does he mean "highly qualified?") teachers service our schools (and not just in communities with low poverty rates), I'm all for it - to an extent.
Rex wants a level playing field. For me, it all comes down to who has the power to evaluate and critique you, and what the checks and balances are on that power. Do you have to be NBC to be in good financial standing, or can your teaching experience make up some of that ground? I don't think the yearly bonuses added on by experience go far enough, but how much is "far enough," and who determines it? And what do you do for those with/pursuing Masters and Doctorates?
For the record, Greenville County district spokesman Olby Lyles said he's in agreement with the "intent" behind Rex's goal, but hasn't read the specifics of the legislation.
Just remember - intent doesn't always translate into law. There is a real possiblity that we could have a very sticky situation on our hands.
Hot topics included the possibility of teachers and administrators being put on furlough for up to five days, salary cuts (for administrators and teachers (including those who are National Board Certified), cutting back on mid-year testing, and releasing state funding for classroom expenses.
I missed the conference at its original airtime thanks to my Furman errand, so I had to catch it late last night.
Initially, I didn't feel like Rex gave any straight answers to some of those pending issues detailed above. Probably because there aren't any, at least not while the economy remains in flux as we await President Obama's upcoming stimulus plan.
I get the feel that he wants to raise teacher salaries to a reasonable level (where it is right now is absolutely pitiful), and yet he also wants to give school districts the option of putting teachers on furlough for up to (and possibly exceeding) five days. In his own words, even if he were to lay off the entire educational work force, that wouldn't be enough to erode the $330 million in funding lost to our eroding economy.
I worry that he's more concerned with short-term solutions rather than the long-term. How long is long enough for a furlough? And what about the ramifications? Personally, I doubt I'd want to risk the future of my career on a stop-gap that may extend past my tenure as a superintendent.
Rex claims that ADEPT is doing "well." I'd debate that, but he didn't go into enough details. If he thinks an overhaul of school accountability measures is necessary to ensure that high quality (or does he mean "highly qualified?") teachers service our schools (and not just in communities with low poverty rates), I'm all for it - to an extent.
Rex wants a level playing field. For me, it all comes down to who has the power to evaluate and critique you, and what the checks and balances are on that power. Do you have to be NBC to be in good financial standing, or can your teaching experience make up some of that ground? I don't think the yearly bonuses added on by experience go far enough, but how much is "far enough," and who determines it? And what do you do for those with/pursuing Masters and Doctorates?
For the record, Greenville County district spokesman Olby Lyles said he's in agreement with the "intent" behind Rex's goal, but hasn't read the specifics of the legislation.
Just remember - intent doesn't always translate into law. There is a real possiblity that we could have a very sticky situation on our hands.
posted by david @ 10:15 AM
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