The District has been getting a lot of practice cutting millions and millions of dollars from their operating budget every year. Due to poor leadership and the inability to read board adopted documents like the Capital Facilities Plan, our district is looking at yet another year of deep cuts.However, this latest budget disaster has more to do with the District's dependence on state funding and since enrollment has been declining for years, the net impact is slightly less disasterous than if it was left solely in the hands of district management. But then they always seem to find a way to cripple their own mission by making cuts in the classroom and never in the glass palace known as the ESC.
Of course, management is completely safe because Mr. Nick's grand plan appears to be the maximization of management and the minimization of actual teaching staff. Even his own Human Resources director, Cathy Birdsong, readily admits that district kids are "pesky". With this grave news out of Olympia, the Birdsong-Brossoit approach can be fully implemented. Like many of our readers, I find it odd that the kids that actually stay in our district and remain in our schools have been labeled "pesky". What does management call those students that have opted to leave the District entirely? Something worse than "pesky" I'm sure.
So, where will these new cuts be made? The blog has been recommending for years that Facilities Operations should be condensed considerably. Have Bob Hansen and George Marschall report directly to Marla Miller and eliminate the Planning and Property Management Specialist and the Director. The current occupants of these positions have proven that these functions are not essential to the mission and are ripe for a reduction. Safety can move to Human Resources, where similarly-qualified staff reside.
While the District launches their latest campaign to plead poverty and beg for more funding from voters, the rest of us, that actually care enough to track their countless devastating choices, will try not to pass out from witnessing all of the bloodshed. Darker days are coming.
11 comments:
Between "pesky kids" and "pesky cheese sandwiches", it's been quite a year.
So, now we have to cut $4.8 million. Closing Evergreen and Woodway saves $700,000. That leaves 4.1 million still to cut.
I think I heard once that cutting 20 teachers saves one million dollars. Let's hope the classrooms don't get the brunt of the cuts.
Labor costs in education are more than 70% of the total budget. Labor costs to make an automobile are between 10-13%, depending on who you ask. If you understand the tremedous pressure auto workers are under to "sacrifice" their wages for the "good of the company", you will understand how easy it will be to cut 50-100 teachers to balance the budget. Penny wise, pound foolish. Public relations disaster.
Hey where are all you stupid attorneys at when an insurance policy expires resulting in a huge clearing of a site at Martha Lake, at taxpayers expense? Funny how my two favorite practices are mentioned in the same sentence. Marla were you on your medication on that expiration day? Or maybe just on one of those extended leaves? Maybe your medication expired too. You of all people would have a plausible excuse for sure. Would you sound any more intelligent answering this question, than you did when interviewed by Susannah Frame? A person could not possibly look more out of place. And I mean that sincerely. In fact the only person in recent memory that appears to lie more to the public with a deer in the headlights look, would be Gunars Sreiber who oversees the Brightwater project. It is a relatively close comparison though. Don't be too proud. So your attorneys are not even capable of a simple reminder like that. Good luck to that bunch in court. I have a feeling you are going to need it. That must be a pretty sight for all to see. I'd love to attend but security would toss me thinking I'm a mess from all the laughing!
Pesky Hr person should lose her job. This is not the first "Pesky thing she has done". We as district employees work for the kids,its funny how some people work. Mrs. Songbirdy has zero respect for people, so she will get that in return.
Pesky cheese, where did you go for 2 months. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Can we also chat about the fact that the EEA is entering into a salary negotiation, and that one of our comparison districts just got a huge raise??
ESD is going to need 10million+ just to get through the year!
Mrs. Pesky aka. Cathy birdsong.
Please go back to your high tree top somewhere else and sing your silly songs since you have no spirt, silly bird! kids are not pesky, its you who, is the pesky bird, singing your pesky songs.
You will recieve the song sometime in your life. I hope you hear it over your own song.
My question is how can any leader of any school district in any state get out of this one.
PESKY KIDS! PESKY KID!
we all know what she says about other co-worker in the district.
Nick, you must stand for something right?
or do you side with your HR Dept.
If you haven't made a choice you still have made a choice, by doing nothing.
We all know.
Were losing kids, but were keep getting more leaders with more money on their checks. MMMMMMMM?
Where do you think the layoffs will be?
Look at Boeing they are cutting from the top. What a great idea!
It is very clear that the Edmonds School District #15 is filled with Hate with a capital "H". Cathy Birdsong, I feel was taken out of context. I think if most of us could have been there, that would have been very apparent. I think the only thing Cathy Birdsong is guilty of, is holding people accountable. When you have been allowed to get away with not coming to work, working less than your scheduled hours, being nasty to your customers and not turning in vacation and sick time, you tend to get angry when the rug is pulled from under you.
I am surprised when folks re-act and blow somethings out of proportion and yet there was an entry to this blog of a letter written in the Office Personnel Folder. This letter was penned with Hate and mostly Racial Hate. When you can gather and laugh, give high fives and brag about what you have written, I find this to be a very sick behavior and even more sick when Directors and Supervisors support this type of behavior. The folks involved will deny any involvement and continue to laugh and high five. So what I want to say is, wrong in any form should be wrong. You can not continue to excuse things based on who and what is involved. I want to stress that RACIAL HATE SHOULD NOT EXIST IN SCHOOLS TODAY, BUT IT IS ALIVE AND WELL. How sick and sad. "HATE" in any form is wrong.
I think in the Edmonds School District #15 so many folks there know so much about each other and the general feeling is:"IF YOU TELL ON ME, I WILL TELL ON YOU". We need to come clean. The truth will set you free. I think if everyone would just confess and start clean, then the Edmonds School District #15 can begin the process of healing and growing healthy. Once you start telling the truth, you become healthier and a better person. Why is something so easy, yet so difficult?
There is one other thing I think needs to be addressed at the Edmonds School District #15 and that is: Who has the responsibility of employees time? I am so sick of folks checking on everybodys time and not paying attention to their own. How many of you leave before your shift is over? How many of you come in late and leave early? How many of you leave early or shortly after your supervisor leaves? How many of you leave early when your supervisor calls to say they will not be coming in? This also applies to long lunch periods. How many of you say you are taking a half hour when you take an hour or much longer? I think the way to solve this problem is for the Edmonds School District #15 to install time clocks. I think with the installation of time clocks regular time and overtime will not be a problem.
OK so I need to ask once again what is an exempt employees? They usually are in the Prof. Tech. and manager group plus all those Assist. Supt. What makes them an exempt employees? Are exempt employee allowed to work 4 hours but get paid for 8? Do exempt employees get paid extra time for hours worked over their 8 hour day? Do exempt employees get to work on a weekend and then trade days for a week day off Oh so many questions. I can’t figure out how the district or excuse me taxpayers monies are allowed to be used this way. When this kind of stuff happening there is no documentation so asking for public disclosure would get you nothing. It is hard to watch some departments get away with this stuff when I must use vacation or personal time when I want time off. I too get paid OT but it is part of my groups bargaining contract. I thought being exempt meant you work until the job gets done, no pay, no swapping days? Guess I am way off base on this one. Please someone explain to me what an exempt employee is suppose to be???????
someone who wants to be in the know..
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