For the edification of those just finding this blog I have reprinted below my posting of last January. This is in response to the Post and Courier's article today on CCSD's success this year in filling teacher slots. The success is truly a turn=around from previous years, with only 37 vacancies remaining at a time when usually 100 or more remain.
No doubt this success is linked to district efforts on many fronts, as Supt. McGinley states.
HOWEVER, the hiring of the New Teacher Project (known as Teach Charleston) is NOT one of them. McGinley acknowledges such. Apparently the number actually signed up by Teach Charleston is unmentionable, but it clearly does not approach the 90 in the contract with this nonprofit.
Is anyone going to admit a mistake here? Teach Charleston has a two-year contract that will be quite profitable even if it never signs another teacher!
See below:
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Non-Profit Does Not Mean Non-Profitable
Today's Newsless Courier announces that CCSD has signed a contract with The New Teacher Project (TNTP) [ see their website http://www.tntp.org/ ] to recruit "enough good teachers" for school years 2007-08 and 2008-09. Admirable goal, that.Who cannot sympathize with Stall High School's principal (and students) as they limp through this school year minus three math teachers? Who cannot help but notice that the schools listed to benefit from this recruiting are the "usual suspects."Noticing the numbers, however, forces the reader to contemplate this: for every teacher short of 90 each year that is not recruited, TNTP will pay back the district $1500; however, each teacher being successfully recruited (assuming 200 over two years) will cost the district $5500.DO THE MATH: that's $4000 NOT paid back to the district per recruiting shortfall.Of course, TNTP is a non-profit. What would be profit is paid out in salaries, expenses, and bonuses. Let's not assume that it is not a money-making venture! And exactly what WAS Nancy McGinley's connection to them? The article says "[she] worked with TNTP in Philadelphia." As an administrator? As an employee of TNTP? As a teacher? Not clear, Diette.According to the article, "half of the money [that's $550,000 by my count] will come from the district, and officials want to collect the other half from the community." [italics mine] So far the district seems to have collected $40,000 of that other half, meaning another half-a-million dollars will either be raised from the community OR be paid by the district, since the contract was signed before even 10 percent was raised from the community. Good luck. I hope someone, or several someones, has deep pockets!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
Goodloe-Johnson (among others in her corner) were long on experts with briefcases from more than 50 miles away. The bigger the out-sourced contract, the more "expert" they were assumed to be. Yes, we can do it ourselves, often better and cheaper, but the leadership has to be wise (and unbiased) enough to know when it's the right call. Goodloe-Johnson was neither wise nor unbiased, but ultimately the county board was all too willing to pass the buck of responsibility to someone else regardless of the long term costs. Well, Mr. Moody, as a CPA, what's your excuse?
When you say "...We Can Do It Ourselves?" you don't mean yourself, right?
After all, you're an English teacher at Bishop England, so you don't work for the CCSD.
This is scary and unfortunately Mr. Moody is like too many of the CCSD board members...seat warmers...
Even when Mr. Moody has something wise to say, he allows Nancy to interrupt him the way "mommy" interrupts a misbehaving child. It would be nice to think our CPA is watching out for us. Speak up, Mr. Moody! Evidently you're pleased with your children's education and feel you're getting your "money's worth", but what about the rest of us?
To the 7:06 pm poster who evidently still attends middle school somewhere, what does it matter where any of us work?
How old are you? I didn't know I had to WORK for CCSD to care about how our tax dollars are being spent.
NEW TEACHER PIPELINe, not NEW TEACHER PROJECT that should be the focus! It takes undergrad and grad ed schools from acros the state working very tightly with school districts at all levels --in the classroom, school leadership, and district coordination.
NEW TEACHER PIPELINe, not NEW TEACHER PROJECT that should be the focus! It takes undergrad and grad ed schools from acros the state working very tightly with school districts at all levels --in the classroom, school leadership, and district coordination.
Post a Comment