Did any of you attend tonight's school bored meeting? With a couple of exceptions we governed by clowns and Eugene White is the Ringmaster. He can't even keep a Super Bowl project because the business community wants nothing to do with IPS or him.
Read the bords, what's the matter with Dean Kelley at Tech? That man has been around for decades, hope he's OK. Also am sorry to hear about Berniece Gaston, Sub Office, very nice lady. Her job wasn't an easy job but she was always professional and respectful.
The journalists who Mary Louise Bewley kicked out of a public meeting recently spoke out against the action clearly and concisely. However, no one responded. White was up first and stated that they would not respond to the comments due to the "pending litigation". He then went on to talk about the Super Bowl in 2012, and Diane Arnold plugged her community center's salsa dancing event coming up.
Another highlight of the evening was Superintendent White trying to convince the board on the merits of buying tables at expensive charity dinners. "They take care of us; we should take care of them." Of course, he also said that these "investments" may have to get cut at some point ... but not until after cutting student education (teachers, arts courses, etc.).
Once again, the majority of the critical eye on dollars came from bookeeper-by-day Kelly Bentley. She was the only one to mount a serious challenge to White's requests for spending and cuts. Michael Cohen came in second place for taxpayer watchdog of the evening, and Diane Arnold third. (In my opinion.)
Someone in the public audience called out Dr. White on his reluctance to cut spending in the right places and pay for those expensive gala tickets out of his $250k salary. (Even if it did earn some dirty looks from the board.)
Nights like this make me embarrassed to live in this town.
By AMOS BROWN III Published: Thursday, February 4, 2010 11:38 AM EST The Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners voted last week to accept Superintendent Dr. Eugene White’s recommendation granting raises to four highly paid IPS administrators.
The School Board also voted to grant the superintendent a three percent raise.
Both actions by the IPS School Board were wrong.
The Indianapolis Public Schools aren’t Microsoft, Wal-Mart or Warren Buffett’s company. IPS, like nearly every school district in Indiana and many nationwide, and like many non-profits and for-profit entities, is facing severe economic pressures and stresses.
Indiana property tax caps are negatively impacting IPS’ transportation and maintenance budgets. And IPS’ loss of thousands of students in recent years, plus the Great Recession’s impact on state government revenues, has IPS facing between $20-$30 million in funding shortfalls.
IPS dodged scores of teacher layoffs this school year because of the one-time injection of federal stimulus money. This coming school year, IPS won’t be as fortunate.
IPS’ layoffs impact newer, younger teachers – many with the thrill and desire to teach using techniques and methods that engage today’s MTV/BET, Facebook, Wii-oriented, texting-tested students.
White said the four veteran IPS administrators deserved raises, pushing their salaries around $100,000 because they were taking on more responsibility.
Speaking Monday on WTLC-AM1310’s “Afternoons with Amos,” IPS Board President Michael Brown said the four administrators didn’t receive “raises.” Instead they were moving to “a different job responsibility with a different (higher) authorized salary.”
That may be true, but its semantics are not relevant to today’s economic realities.
How many of you reading this took on more responsibility at your job? Did you get a raise for that? If you’re like me and most Americans and Hoosiers, the answer is no.
When times were good, raises like those OK’d by IPS were fine. When times are hard, they’re an insult!
Board President Brown and White say that the other school districts pay their administrators more money. That keeping up with the Jones’ mentality doesn’t fly in these tough economic times.
In his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama called out the nation’s colleges and universities, urging them to show restraint in their tuition and costs.
Our public schools should show the same restraint. In this era of tight school budgets, school administrations and school boards should show leadership and freeze administrative salaries and if the budget woes are tough, roll some of those salaries back until the fiscal crisis passes.
The media industry, including the media I work for, have had salaries and raises frozen, even rolled back to weather the economic storm. If we in media can do it, so can those in education.
Are we sure that a board member didn't sell out IPS in favor of a certain university?
ReplyDeleteDid anyone question Dr. Kelly's promotion and raise?
ReplyDeleteRead the bords, what's the matter with Dean Kelley at Tech? That man has been around for decades, hope he's OK.
ReplyDeleteAlso am sorry to hear about Berniece Gaston, Sub Office, very nice lady. Her job wasn't an easy job but she was always professional and respectful.
The journalists who Mary Louise Bewley kicked out of a public meeting recently spoke out against the action clearly and concisely. However, no one responded. White was up first and stated that they would not respond to the comments due to the "pending litigation". He then went on to talk about the Super Bowl in 2012, and Diane Arnold plugged her community center's salsa dancing event coming up.
ReplyDeleteAnother highlight of the evening was Superintendent White trying to convince the board on the merits of buying tables at expensive charity dinners. "They take care of us; we should take care of them." Of course, he also said that these "investments" may have to get cut at some point ... but not until after cutting student education (teachers, arts courses, etc.).
Once again, the majority of the critical eye on dollars came from bookeeper-by-day Kelly Bentley. She was the only one to mount a serious challenge to White's requests for spending and cuts. Michael Cohen came in second place for taxpayer watchdog of the evening, and Diane Arnold third. (In my opinion.)
Someone in the public audience called out Dr. White on his reluctance to cut spending in the right places and pay for those expensive gala tickets out of his $250k salary. (Even if it did earn some dirty looks from the board.)
Nights like this make me embarrassed to live in this town.
Rescind, eradicate, roll back the IPS raises
ReplyDeleteBy AMOS BROWN III
Published: Thursday, February 4, 2010 11:38 AM EST
The Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners voted last week to accept Superintendent Dr. Eugene White’s recommendation granting raises to four highly paid IPS administrators.
The School Board also voted to grant the superintendent a three percent raise.
Both actions by the IPS School Board were wrong.
The Indianapolis Public Schools aren’t Microsoft, Wal-Mart or Warren Buffett’s company. IPS, like nearly every school district in Indiana and many nationwide, and like many non-profits and for-profit entities, is facing severe economic pressures and stresses.
Indiana property tax caps are negatively impacting IPS’ transportation and maintenance budgets. And IPS’ loss of thousands of students in recent years, plus the Great Recession’s impact on state government revenues, has IPS facing between $20-$30 million in funding shortfalls.
IPS dodged scores of teacher layoffs this school year because of the one-time injection of federal stimulus money. This coming school year, IPS won’t be as fortunate.
IPS’ layoffs impact newer, younger teachers – many with the thrill and desire to teach using techniques and methods that engage today’s MTV/BET, Facebook, Wii-oriented, texting-tested students.
White said the four veteran IPS administrators deserved raises, pushing their salaries around $100,000 because they were taking on more responsibility.
Speaking Monday on WTLC-AM1310’s “Afternoons with Amos,” IPS Board President Michael Brown said the four administrators didn’t receive “raises.” Instead they were moving to “a different job responsibility with a different (higher) authorized salary.”
That may be true, but its semantics are not relevant to today’s economic realities.
How many of you reading this took on more responsibility at your job? Did you get a raise for that? If you’re like me and most Americans and Hoosiers, the answer is no.
When times were good, raises like those OK’d by IPS were fine. When times are hard, they’re an insult!
Board President Brown and White say that the other school districts pay their administrators more money. That keeping up with the Jones’ mentality doesn’t fly in these tough economic times.
In his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama called out the nation’s colleges and universities, urging them to show restraint in their tuition and costs.
Our public schools should show the same restraint. In this era of tight school budgets, school administrations and school boards should show leadership and freeze administrative salaries and if the budget woes are tough, roll some of those salaries back until the fiscal crisis passes.
The media industry, including the media I work for, have had salaries and raises frozen, even rolled back to weather the economic storm. If we in media can do it, so can those in education.
IPS must roll back the raises, immediately!