I do not doubt that there are second career people who are good teachers.

They are not the problem, the problem is a BOE member having input into the Rubic that is suppose to be fair, when she has no teaching skills. Worse yet, her only real experience is that she has a kid she got on the payroll as new teacher!

I would like to see us have people with wisdom of experience, that isn't what is going on here.

we need a recall and we need it now. How much more do you guys want to pay for? We have kids of people in power at the BOE as clerks, custodians, and God knows what else.
If you factor in the welfare for family members, what we pay is off the reservation! This is total BS!

I haven't seen it. Where is it?

Hartley advised against the rubric due to the amount of teachers he projected would sue. Smola and Ellis were working on it "behind closed doors." DeCotis stated that all existing copies had been shredded (ask him yourself), but that all principals had received a draft. Maybe you could ask your principal and see for yourself??

Seems like Rene Ellis is going to have to explain why she let Janet write the rubic. Hartley advised against because the teachers would sue and Decostis shredded it. Nice, now how much in legal fees did we pay for this behind closed door deal?

It seems the more Janet does, the more she pulls them all down with her. She must be pretty popular by now.

It doesn't matter if the rubric was schredded. The fact that it was written by Ellis and a BOE member with a very junior son teaching speaks for itself.

I've not seen the actual rubric, but I've certainly been made aware of it. My dept chair mentioned it at several different dept meetings. It was emphasized at said meetings that seniority means NOTHING. It will be the principal's discretion (aided by the rubric) on who stays and who goes at each school. This was not something that was discussed at SMHS? That's interesting.

no one is going to feel right. The only fair way, the only legal way, I've ever seen is reverse seniorty.

The teachers must me saints to endure this medling for so long. When will the teachers be let go?

seems to be to talk about provisional certificates. Not direct like Eric T. One can only think it possible he was given a provisional certificate.
Did others apply with certificates in hand? That answer seems not forthcoming. All we hear is that with no past teaching history in fayette he was up for teacher of the year.

That would be a low blow to many good teachers.

The answer about the rubic for who goes and who stays will be answered when we see who is retained.

call Janet Smola and Renae Ellis and ask them if this ever happened? What do you have to lose?
If it didn't happen, then I'm sure we'd all be happy with the truth. This all just sounds/smells fishy if you really stand back and look at everything from an outsiders point of view.

I will call them and ask them. Good idea.

Obviously they thought children would be better served by less qualified and inexperienced teachers.

Since when is Janet Smola involved in day-to-day school personnel issues?

If this is "policy formulation", why isn't the entire school board involved?

Something is not quite right here.

If writing the rules on how teachers are picked to be laid off isn't promoting them over other teachers then I don't know what is.
I hope all the teachers let all the dirty little secrets out of the bad.

Georgia House Bill 1187 has an anti-nepotism policy which reads:

"Anti-Nepotism Policies

Local boards of education may not employ or PROMOTE any person who is a member of the immediate family of any board member, unless a public, recorded vote is taken on such employment or promotion as a separate matter from any other personnel matter. The board member whose family member is being considered may not vote."

Of Course, this would apply to clerks and custodians too.

when these people consult the BOE lawyers to see if this would fly, they do it on their own dime. I don't think we should pay the lawyers to skirt the laws, if that is what is being done.

to an anonymous garbage poster. They are more common than you could ever imagine, but I commend your openness. Not that you care, but I would ignore the heck out of these types of posters if I were you. If they want to check your credentials, make them take their sorry butts to the school or BOE and do so wearing their face and their name.

Cheers!

Was anybody who was ever related to your father, Bob Todd, in-laws or ex-in-laws, related to Kendra Hipps?

All I am trying to establish is that many people associated with Board Member Todd have benefited from employment with the school system because lots of ugly things are being said about a colleague of mine whose mother is on the school board.

I will keep blogging about these employees as long as people are dragging my colleague through the mud.

If your dad calls off his dogs, I'll call off mine.

Attack dogs didn't work out too well for Mike Vic, and I don't think they'll work out well for you. Best bring those dogs back in your yard, and entertain them with milk bones.... before they end up biting their owner.

We respect your father and Ms Key. Everyone knows that your father didn't get you the job.

People have issues with the clerical/janitorial/ allowance salaries people we are finding.

It also remains to be seen if someone child had their teaching certificate ..when they were hired/applied and if there were other people more qualified looking for the same job.

panther has done nothing but try to smear your father and Ms Key since they started posting. Everyone knows Dr Todd and Ms Key are a thorn in the side of other members of the BOE.

I don't respect Dr. Todd.

I believe that Dr. Todd is a bitter, jealous, old bully. We was about to get demoted from the county office to an elementary school many years ago, so he retired and ran for the Board. Dr. DeCotis was eventually promoted to the position that Dr. Todd had always wanted, superintendent. Dr. Todd has set out to destroy Dr. DeCotis and will try to destroy anyone who supports his enemy.

Many, many people I've worked with since I started have never, ever liked or respected Dr. Todd.

Dr. Todd was not the one that was demoted to an elementary school. That was a former principal of Braelinn from years ago.

Dr. Bob Martin & Dr. Bob Todd were both at the county office and were both being moved to elementary schools. Dr. Bob Martin went to Braelinn until he retired. Dr. Bob Todd retired and then set out to make everybody miserable.

You are right Andre-that was "Dr. Bob"-different man!! I remember he worked at FCHS in the 80's. Once the bell system was broken and he would get on the loudspeaker and say "Dang, dang, dang-the bell to first period has just rung!". Thanks for bringing back that memory and giving me a laugh this morning!

that he knows you should have said "We were about to get demoted..."

Come on!!!! You tried to insinuate that a man is teaching without certification. At least do so using proper English. I'm just sayin.....

I'm just guessing here but, I think he meant "He was" not we were, and maybe you meant Pantherpride not Panthrepride.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

I had to read that three times to figrue it uot. Trsut me, I'm not dirving tongiht.

What in the world are you doing? Please stop before you just sink to another new low.
"many, many people I've worked with ....." what does this mean or accomplish? Please!

Eric,
This poster is ridiculous-keep your head held high!
Everyone knows that your dad and Marion Key are the only
ones on the board who try to do the right thing for Fayette County Schools!

Is it fair to post lies about someone because you don't like his parents? This all started because bloggers were jumping on, stomping on, and judging someone in the nastiest way. Just because a family member of a board member is an employee doesn't mean anybody did anything wrong. A whole lot of nasty and untrue things were said about a young teacher.

They said he wasn't certified; he is.
They said he wasn't qualified; he is.
They said his mother got him his job; I don't think she did.
This young man is doing a fantastic job, but is having mud thrown at him because his mother has political enemies.

Where was all your outrage about that?

and that was the purpose of my post. If he WAS qualified when he was hired and his mother didn't try to get that rubic in, then you are right. He has been drug through the mud just like you did Mr. Todd. Either you are here and blogging for the truth or you are just looking to hurt families. Make the call or better yet, you can even call the professional standards and they are legally required to to respond; (I am almost certain this is the case)

were you certified before taking the job. That is a very simple question. We have heard the teacher of the year, object of some teachers paper about smart kids, he had better grades than those that applied. You seem to know a lot.

The question is still the same. Were you certified when you applied? Now that isn't hard is it?

I was qualified, that's why I was hired. I wasn't completely certified until I jumped through some certification hoops. I have been a teacher in Fayette County for over two decades. When I was hired, I had graduated from college with a double major: education and my specialty field. AFTER I was hired, I had to take a Teacher Certification Test and pass certain observation evaluations to be awarded a Clear Renewable Certificate. We had three years to complete those observations and pass the TCT. Many of my colleagues since then have been hired without degrees in education, so they had to complete a similar process with the addition of courses in education. Very seldom would a brand new teacher right of college enter that job with a clear, renewable certificate already in place.

Is that answer simple enough for you? The process and names of the tests and evaluations have changed somewhat since the mid-80's, but it is still similar to what it was then.

I think he was assuming you were the guy this post is about and was asking if he was certified when he was hired. I may be wrong, just standing on the outside watching two conversation.

nothing but smear Key and Todd as if to compare them with the Smola's! That is a travesty.

I just listened to that podcast and read the manual...they don't have to have permission...they were just asking board members to have appointments scheduled instead of dropping in on people and micromanaging.

And, do you really think any public citizen go walking around in a school just because they sign in at the front office?

Please!!!!
So I guess they need an appt so that the school can put on the dog and pony show. Isn't that how you all do it??