Let's give these aging Board of Education Employees a 30% Bonus over 3 years to encourage them to retire, (when the money was supposed to be used to hire NEW Teachers instead) and then HIRE them back under this Bogus BS Mentoring deal and start paying these people all over again!
The Daily Times doesn't have the ability to tell the news like it should be delivered and that's why they're failing. Their convenient excuse is, we tell a story the way it's presented to us. Well maybe in the Editorial section they could have spent some time being CREATIVE on this story instead of the LAX thing instead?
I'll add, today's paper was loaded with yesterdays news repeated again today and it was extremely thin. Can you tell I'm getting very close to cancelling my subscription? The ONLY thing that keeps me going is being able to see articles like this one today and come back and blast them about it.
The Board of Education just screwed the Wicomico County Taxpayers, ONCE AGAIN!
33 comments:
Joe:
Please call any school in the county and ask if you can shaddow the administrator for a day, especially a new administrator.
This is not a full time position and is on a contractual basis. Again from the comments, this is not new money and you will not see a line item in the budget for it.
This program is valuable and it will be great to have experienced administrators help those just coming on board.
Again...Joe...if you are man enough, you have plenty of days to get into schools to walk in their shoes...I bet you will pass!
Money is tight. Only absolutely necessary programs will be funded by the county taxpayers for next year. So why start an extra like this? The BOE continues to believe anything they can think of should be paid for by the taxpayers. This is how dozens of positions have been created at the central office of the BOE. Let retired administrators volunteer to help new administrators either on weekends, early mornings, evenings, some convenient time. There are tons of unpaid mentors working with children in the system. So they can do the same for new administrators. These do not have to be paid positions.
I accept your challenge. I have learned a priceless lesson with the Fire Department and now I'm ready to step up to the plate and accept the Board of Education's challenge to go to work for you for a day.
The big question is, will I walk away from this experience with my mind changed about paying people HUGE money to retire, then find a way to scam them back to work and continue paying them?
The money, IMO is and was supposed to be used to hire NEW Teachers. You people found a way to screw the program and pay the highest paid employees/teachers even more before they retire and then ask them to come back?
In closing, what makes YOU think I don't know how to work hard? Just how do you think I retired at 40 years old? Oh, and for those nay sayers out there who want to state my Father gave it to me, he lives in Salisbury and he's in the phone book. Call him and ask him if he gave me anything. I owned my own company and he had no part of any former ownership.
8:22 (BOE employee)
Administration is a demanding job and often a thankless job, but the mentoring of new administrators can be done on a volunteer, unpaid basis. The BOE needs to recognize that, even if a position might be nice to have, it cannot be funded in these stressful economic times. Cut the 10% raises for those retiring, cut the liaison positions, and enact a freeze on the creation of new positions. When money is tight, most employers understand that new positions are not added.
Joe, I admire that you are going into the schools to be with an administrator. You will be impressed with the quality of work they do. During your stay, however, ask yourself if a totally part-time, contractual former administrator who would rarely be at any one school could alleviate the problems you're seeing. Also, you should ask how many principals and vice principals are retiring from Wicomico County this year. Out of 26 schools, I think the number is two principals, and they are the two being hired back.
Joe...
Go to either a high school or a tough school like Pinehurst and wrestle the ED kids for a day. might be interesting.
For the person that said that the mentoring program can be volunteer...just ask any teacher and see if they want the teacher mentors to become a volunteer program. No one will do it and help new teachers. This is one of the best programs we have to retain new teachers.
I thought that's what being a vice-principal was for, to learn the ropes and be ready to step in.
How about the retired administrators volunteer? Or conduct seminars?
How about they mentors some STUDENTS so the principals have fewer problem children to deal with?
There are people in the community doing that, free of charge.
I have no doubt administrators, especially principals, have their hands full. But I think there are other ways to get them what they need without more cost, and better way to use the retirees if they are willing to give of themselves unpaid. They are receiving pensions from their time in the school system, and it's better than mine.
I would wager that Joe Albero would do a complete job without any complaining. He would also support his staff and bring about changes for the for the staff he supervises.The top BOE administrators would be kicking him out in 2 weeks.Those new Principals have been in the school system long enough to know what the job entails.Dont take the position if u cant handle it.GO FOR IT JOE. HARDHEAD
At the Wicomico BOE, the director of elementary education and the director of secondary education do not have any instructional responsibilities or any jobs related to student services. Their main job (almost their only job) is to work with the principals and vice principals. Why can't they work with the new administrators instead of hiring others to do it?
Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentor at risk children FREE.
Police Athletic League (do they have one here) mentor children FREE
Little League coaches mentor children FREE
Optimist Internation mentors children FREE
Why the hell do we have to pay EXPERIENCED pension drawing retirees to do what everyone else does FREE?
If the BOE wasn't so top heavy they wouldn't have the multi million dollar budget they do. How many millions of that budget goes to those that take up space over on Long Ave in the BOE offices? CUT THE FAT.
"Money is tight. Only absolutely necessary programs will be funded by the county taxpayers for next year. So why start an extra like this?"
In a dream world...
The truth is that the local gov'mints are spending at an ever increasing rate. Two great examples to the East is the new fat 3 year contract given to Ocean City police, and the continuation of Ocean City's "free cars and gas on taxpayers" policy for numerous city employees.
The gov'mint boyz and girlz don't get it. They don't seem too interested in learning either.
I will give in on my stance on this when the Sheriff's Dept. quits spending MY tax dollars on allowing their officers to waste gas to go shopping around town.
Let me get this straight...I pay for them to travel around town at leisure and they get an 8% raise.
Get real...trim the fat there boys...What is good for the BOE is good for the Sheriff's Dept.
But let me guess Joe, you won't support this since your are buddies with Lewis.
"But let me guess Joe, you won't support this since your are buddies with Lewis."
Let me see here. I recall a time when Sheriff Lewis and his Wife were eating at Appleby's for breakfast when all of a sudden he left the table and went outside to help assist in an arrest.
Oh, I know, then there was the Ray Lewis thing. That's right, he was off duty, right? WRONG! Mike Lewis is never off duty and neither are ANY of the Officers in the Wicomico County Sheriff's Department!
Why don't you call Sheriff Lewis and ask him directly just how often his men and women do their job, OFF DUTY. How can YOU complain about a Department, (probably the ONLY department in the County) that is actually delivering results as well as costing the taxpayers LESS, rather than more every year?
Sorry Dude but you're an Idiot.
Consider this for a moment. Just let it sink in: state and local governments now employ one out of seven workers and collectively spend one-half of total GDP.
That's a crap load of tax money, folks. Aside from the hospital, university and chicken giant employees, who's left to pay these taxes: Walmart/retail folks.
9:14
It sounds like you work at the BOE. If you are right about the education directors, why don't they work with the new administrators? Do instructional supervisors really report to this Mrs. Malone quoted in the paper instead of to Mrs. Miles and Mrs. Handy? If that is so, what are we paying Mrs. Miles and Mrs. Handy such huge salaries for?
1120 I'll support the BOE as soon as they save the taxpayers the same number of dollars the WCSO saves us. WCSO bought all those beautiful new vehicles and paid to have them equipped with state of the art tools with DRUG SEIZED MONEY. Now if the BOE seized all the drugs in their hallowed halls I'm sure they'd find drug money with a lot of it.
When the BOE starts drug testing their employees then lets talk. Oops can't do that, most of the kids would have to be homeschooled due to lack of employees.
10:27
Worcester has always been a richer county than Wicomico, and the schools in Worcester receive much less state aid.
Joe...
You think administrators are off duty at the end of the day??? Guess again...Many have conference with parents at places like walmart, applebees, church, etc. They even get calls from parents in the evenings and reply to emails when they should be home with their families. That doesn't even mention all of the time at sporting events, etc. You think this doesn't impact a family?
Many stay late at night to do work that cannot get done due to dealing with instruction and discipline throughout the day.
I got an idea...save the tax payers money and take the drug money the WCSO gets and put that towards their salaries. Also, if the cars were at the office, they wouldn't get the wear and tear, therefore, no need to get new ones every year.
From an administrator's child...
There are so many different issues here.
1. To pay someone to retire, to save money, and then hire them back is stupid.
2. There ARE too many layers of administrators in WCBOE, and in tough times such as these there should be a hiring freeze for non-teaching positions.
3. The sheriffs dept. and their vehicle use discussion is also stupid. Whenever there is a police car in a vicinity, there is a policeman nearby. This is always going to be useful, particularly in such a crime-ridden area. I'd love to have an off-duty deputy in the mall parking lot when I'm walking to my car, arms full of purchases. What chance is he going to be there if he's ON duty?
2 principals retire = 2 principal mentors
Are these principals any good? What do their faculties/colleagues think? Are the respective schools sad or happy to see them go?
If these principals believe this is so important, why not volunteer?
Principals see the ropes as VPs and should be intelligent enough to make it happen as principals.
There are more important ways to spend the money...
Let's get this in perspective...from what I have been told, these positions are part time contractual...which means that they are without benefits and they are hourly...not sure what that rate is but cannot be extreme.
Another thing...contactual in the county means less than 20 hours per week. I doubt that the two in question will even do 20 hours per week.
Look, adminstrators are getting younger and need guidance. Why, older teacher have no desire to do the job...just look across the county at the VPs and Principals...except for a few, everyone is in the middle of their career.
I am not saying that these positions are necessary but if we want to retain the best leaders in our schools, we need to do everything we can to help them. What they face everyday is nowhere is a book or manual.
The only two retiring principals are the two being rehired to do this. It's odd that Ruth Malone won't release their names when everyone knows the two women who are leaving and coming back.
7:07
The county BOE has a director of elem. ed. and a director of secondary ed. They do nothing with instruction or student services. The job of each is to work with principals and vice principals. They should do it.
I live in a neighborhood without a police car. I have not lost one minute of sleep. If they would assign these officers a certain territory to police while they are working instead of them all hanging together to arrest one drunk maybe we could have all of the police presence needed. I bet that would save alot of gas and weaar and tear on those police cars.If anyone needs a police car around their houses it would be Joe and he doesn't need that because he has Mike Lewis on speed dial.
The BOE has wasted our money for years !!! They always mention "It's for the kids" Then they say we couldn't put up with them spoiled brats one day. They need to make up their minds. It was their choice to teach. Also how can we afford Norman Conway whn he isn't even there for 6 months. His job is real productive.
Cut the crap and lets be honest for once when talking about the BOE. The truth is they can't keep anyone. No one wants to teach here and no one wants to be an administrator here so they promote those without qualifications before advertising the jobs availability. The mentors are not needed. Who mentored Ronald Willey, Tom Field, Chris Nunzio, Mr. Evans at Wi Middle? Who mentored anyone before this year?
The only two retiring principals are the two being rehired to do this. It's odd that Ruth Malone won't release their names when everyone knows the two women who are leaving and coming back.
Both of these principals need to retire. Teachers and parents were complaining so they enticed them to retire by offering them half-time mentoring positions at half salary. If not, one of them plan ned to die on the job working with the same old philosophies that worked 40 years ago.They had to handle this retirement softly since her husband is an infuential politician. The other principal has no leadership skills but the country school ran itself with the teachers helping. Isn't politics wonderful? Thr Board of Education is talented in creating jobs each year. I just thought of a new job. Let's hire a mentor for the new superintendent!!!
I think the school that my wife teaches at needs a mentor for the head custodian. To simply things ,let's double the board employees so everyone has a mentor.There are plenty of senior citizens that need to apply to live with the economy being so poor. The Bd. gets plenty of our tax dollars.The next thing you will hear is that the Board does not have enough money for textbooks and it's programs. Guess what? Salaries used up all the money. Magic isn't it?
Principals need planning time now like teachers so that they have an hour a day to meet with their mentor and discuss the mistakes they made.Maybe the vice-principal or his mentor could cover the principal's duties during the hour meeting. Scheduling is going to be tight. Maybe some parent volunteers or mentors could help out but don't forget to ask for a salary too!!!
Evidently these two retiring elementary principals care only for themselves. They have made top salaries and now they can't mentor without a salary. Why does my wife and I volunteer at the hospital free? It is only fair and right to give something back to the community that has given you a good life. Some people are so selfish and only look after themselves. These two principals are in it for the money. So sad isn't it? You would think they would share their successes and not sell them back to the Board.I hope the extra money makes them very ,very happy.
I am a teacher and we need as many warm bodies to deal with some of the students you, the parents, send us. They don't listen, have no manners and have no fundamental home-training.I'm sure some parents have no contol over their children either. We have police officiers in most schools and the union predicts having 2 police officiers in each school in the next 5 to 10 years. We will need more prisons too. So, this is why the Board of Education needs most of the County money budgeted to deal with your children.Wake up parents and start doing what a parent should do.- teach your child values and good behavior before sending them to us.
With all of the truly excellent retired administrators, why would you just happen to pick these two to be mentors? If the BOE wants role models for new principals and vice principals, they should be much more careful about who is put forth as an example. Yes, ask the faculty, staff and parents of the two schools involved and you will dump this new program. Someone at the Board has very poor judgement.
One of the retiring principals was going to be moved to another school about ten years ago when lots of administrators were being shifted. She pitched an incredible fit in the BOE central office, overheard by many. As always, the Board caved in and allowed her to stay where she was and moved someone else instead. Fair? Not hardly. The agreement was that she would stay only one more year and then retire in exchange for getting her way. Well, it's ten years later. So if the BOE wants someone who does not respect authority or keep to her word as a mentor ...
12:54
You are right about this. The elementary director when the big fit happened was not the current one, Mrs. Handy. It was not the one before Mrs. Handy either, Mrs. Stein. It was the one before Mrs. Stein, Mr. Bounds so it has been a long time ago. I'm not sure how she faces her peers who do go to the schools where they get assigned, but she got her way and that's what mattered to her. She knew no one would make her retire after a year of getting to stay where she wanted to.
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