"GA/Joe:
I would appreciate it you would now do a compaign to see the salary comparisons among teachers in Worcester and Dorchester counties. This would be very interesting. Since it seems like you have so much time on your hands. I am sure that you could get the process started, let the daily times do most of the legwork and then sit back and claim all the glory. This would show true "journalism"."
Seems to me, Salisbury News produced this information 5 days before The Daily Times, respectfully. When WE have a Staff of more than 200 and WE start selling advertising, not only will we do so, (IN OUR FREE TIME) we'll do it better than The Daily Times. How you can feel we're taking credit is beyond me. Nevertheless, thanks for paying attention and we're sorry we hurt your feelings, Joe.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Joe and Joe=
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to compare teachers salaries, can you compare the number and salaries of central office positions too? Wicomico has these that need to be compared to what other places do.
1. Three assistant superintendents instead of one
2. At least a dozen people paid as directors whether they're called that or not
3. A Director of Elem. Ed. and a Director of Secondary Ed. who don't work with curriculum plus a Director of Curriculum and Staff Development
4. A supervisor of math PreK-12 with a full-time coordinator to help
5. A supervisor of reading PreK-12 with a full-time coordinator to help
6. A full-time coordinator of staff development to help the director of curriculum and staff development
7. A full-time community liaison for the new alternative to the alternative program
8. Parent liaison at the central
office as a full-time position
9. A Director of Student Services with fewer responsibilities because of a new position of Safe Schools coordinator and the fact that the Bd moved school transportation to another department (I don't know which one it got moved to but it was moved)
10. A full-time supervisor of school nurses
11. More layers of personnel in maintenance and facilities and special education departments than can be listed with new ones added almost every month, especially during the last two years
You could ask for the organizational chart of all central office employees, but sometimes ones who work there get listed as working in the schools so you would have to check it out carefully.
Anon 10:47==You have hit the nail on the "HEAD".Everyone will see the waste of tax payers money in these Non-Essential Positions. Large part of who you know.They have more positions in the central office than in Fruitland Primary School.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely understand the concerns of many citizens who believe the Wicomico County Board of Education is "top heavy." Ensuring high student achievement, safe schools, and providing effective and efficient operations are the top three goals of the seven member school board. Constantly the board looks for cost effective ways to improve in these areas, and there is always more work to do.
ReplyDeleteThe Maryland State Department of Education 2006 -2007 FACT BOOK can be downloaded at
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE
Specifically refer to pp 8 - 9 to get comparative data on Equivalent Staff (Full time Equivalent) size for all districts in MD. Page 1 of the book will provide numbers of students for each county to put the data in context.
Just as an example, Worcester has 6,830 students. Wicomico has more than double at 14,427. Yet both districts have 3 in Central Office leadership positions: superintendent and assistant superintendents. (Two years ago when Mr. Field became interim Superintendent, he stepped up from Asst. Superintendent and this position was never re-filled). Worcester has 24 Directors, coordinators, supervisors, pupil personnel workers, school and social workers. Wicomico has 51.
Our comparative and ratio data is very close to Worcester and other counties with a similar number of students.
This data must also be considered in context with the students we serve. Wicomico now has 47% of our students qualifying for Free & Reduced meals (FARM), an indication of economic disadvantage by federal guidelines. Worcester has 32% FARM students.
If you look at Title 1 students, (p. 30), Worcester has 1,212 . Wicomico has 2,920. This is more than double Worcester and a much greater % of the student population. (Title 1 is a federal program to help disadvantaged children meet challenging content and student performance standards.) To receive the federal funds, a full time person or grants administrator - must coordinate and adhere to the program guidelines. In addition, a larger % of Wicomico's student population qualify for Special Education services and are English Language Learners.
These students (FARM, Title 1, ELL & Special Ed) are called Students at Risk. Wicomico ranks among the top 5 districts in MD for the largest number of at-risk students. Thus, more staff is required to address these needs and coordinate a myriad of grant programs and community services to address the needs of these students.
While the frustration and community concern have simmered over the last seven years with the perception that the BOE wastes money, I have witnessed the FARM rate of Wicomico County students climb from 36% to 47% and an almost untenable increase in federal and state requirements and mandates that increase the cost of public education. In some of our in Salisbury elementary schools (like Prince Street Elementary), 77% of the students are on Free & Reduced meals. Wicomico has more than 200 students who are homeless by federal defintions. The demographics of Wicomico County are changing exponentially, student and family needs are growing, and at the same time, we are spending less per pupil than the state average and our neighbors in Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset. (pp. 26-27 of the FACT BOOK).
If Joe and/or GA will contact me at RHHolloway@yahoo.com, I will work diligently to get you any information needed to clarify some of the long held misconceptions about the Wicomico County BOE.
Most BOE employees work very hard to maximize student achievement, provide a safe learning environment, attain greater organizational efficiency and ensure compliance. It is not a perfect system by any measure, but there are passionate and dedicated educators and staff working diligently in often challenging circumstances to achieve results.
The Board of Education is in the final stages of a national search for a four year superintendent of schools. It is my greatest hope that this community can come together and support a new superintendent for the future of our 14,500 Wicomico school age children.
Robin Holloway
President
Wicomico County Board of Education
Anonamorons:
ReplyDeleteSuggest that you check out the comprehensive refutation of your nonsense by Ms. Holloway, posted above.
Mrs. Holloway has provided much information and seems willing to provide more if needed. I have a few questions. When the new supt. is appointed, will we go back to having three asst. supts.? Mrs. Holloway seems to be implying that will not happen, that Wicomico will have just two asst. supts. like Worcester has. Most people think the two years of Mr. Fields as interim supt. were an unusual circumstance, and we'll go right back to one supt. and three assts. in the fall. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteThe data about supervisors, coordinators, etc., does not include the number of WBOE central office employees who have other titles like specialist, project manager, liaison, area manager, accounting manager, foreman, executive associate, lead something, etc. There are far more than 51. Maybe the total number of central office employees, no matter what their titles, would be more helpful for comparison purposes.
President Holloway cannot be saying that all of those central office positions were created because of student need or federal and state mandates. As in all businesses and other places of employment, some jobs are created to meet specific personnel issues. We should not be surprised that it happens at boards of education too.
Although I am not close to Robin Holloway, my experience with her is that she is a good person with integrity. I hope the bloggers of this site will be fair and open-minded in dealing with her. Her comment here alone demonstrates quality character.
ReplyDeleteCount on it.
ReplyDeleteAll we can really count on is Joe bashing the teachers, from a man who can not even finish high school. Have any of you spent ANY time in your kids classroom? have any of you attended a college class and do the assignments given to your kids teacher..just so they can keep a job? Of course not that would require you to do something other than bitch how bad you have it. Joe is so good at saying if you don't like it leave...well if you don't like this then go to college get a teaching job so you can make a living wage. work summers? yea so they can pay off $80,000 debt just to get a job. Quite bitchen about teachers, look at your electric bill tell me they are not making to much money. $100,000.00 a year to be a meter reader. Get a real life IDOT
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