What an absolute ridiculous thing to say that teachers “work for a government bureaucracy, and a government school and what else should be expected”. So, just live with it, “suck it up and stop complaining”! Well sir/madam, over “my dead body”! I am sick and tired of this mentality, as we all should be. I for one expect ACCOUNTABILITY. With half of my local taxes dollars going to support the school system, I expect no less value for my tax dollars as I do when I direct the spending of each of the dollars it takes to run my household. How dare you just shrug off the inept spending decisions that have been and are being made by the administration and school board as just another government bureaucracy that we expect to waste our money. Yes, every government entity that receives state funding has had to make cutbacks, but none as deep as Fayette County. Who has asked the question as to why that may be? Where is the accountability? Where is the Fayette County reserve fund (rainy day fund) that other school systems have to weather these hard times? Yes, other school systems have furloughed staff OR cut pay, but not both as those rainy day funds were used to offset cuts from the state. I for one am sick of hearing a member of the school board explaining why we are in such a financial mess; the state keeps cutting back on the monies they have been promised after the budget was set so the board has had to “dip” into the reserves to make up the difference. Fayette was dipping each year as the “good times rolled” and left with “only a portion of one month’s expenditures” per Laura Brock when the economy made its downturn. Here, sir/madam is where the accountability comes into play. This administration and board has a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens and taxpayers of this county to make planning and budgeting decisions not only for the present operation of the school system but planning for the future. I think that everyone whose funding comes from government sources knows that revenues streams follow the business cycle. It is unconscionable to spend like “welfare queens” when tax revenues are flowing with no thought of tomorrow and the inevitable downturn. Think if I remember correctly, the millage rate has been cut for the past several years. Sound like the responsible thing to do to you? Give the taxpayers a few dollars back as we now watch our property values start their progressive spiral down following the direction of the school system. As best I can remember, the state has been making cuts since 2003. Don’t know about you, but I think I would have considered this an expected trend by now and been much more proactive about how I spent money and where cutbacks could be made. Seems like other school systems got the message and did something about it….built up reserve funds and cut back on spending or maybe Fayette County is the only system in the state that was affected. Hmmm, which could it be? Dr. DeCotis was quoted in an article not long ago that Fayette didn’t cut programs that other systems have and in fact in this paper is an extensive article about what makes Fayette “special”. The PR and HR Departments did an exemplary job “spinning” that one! Ask the State what they recommend that each system have in their reserve fund and that amount is suggested to be 12% of one year expenditures. Go ahead, ask a board member how much they have had in reserves for the past 5 years or longer and see what answer you get. Make them accountable!!

Sure I’m mad as hell and I am going to complain. I get up everyday and do my job. I do not take my personal disappointment in the classroom with me. Everyday I try to improve in the job I do teaching the children that have been entrusted to me. I spend more time with other parent’s kids than I do with my own! The 8 hours I spend at school is just a portion of the day that I spend as an educator. I have 3 college degrees (at my expense) and have spent countless hours during the summer improving my teaching skills. I earn every penny of the salary that I am paid and I am not going to be modest. I moved to this county because of the school system and am proud to work here. I am surrounded by professionals that get up everyday and do exactly the same thing that I do. Ask any teacher who transfers to Fayette from another system and they will tell you that there is a special quality of the people who work here. Mr. Jarrell was exactly right in saying that the employees of this county are its most important asset. I just want you to imagine replacing every teacher that works in the system today. Be honest, what do you think Fayette Schools would be like? I am worried about the future of our school system. We are losing very valuable and experienced employees.

My job is not making decisions about the operation of the school system. Others are hired and elected to do this job. My expectation of them is that they do their job, just as I do the job I was hired to do. From my perspective, the employees of this county have been let down by the board and administration that have failed at performing their job. (Where is the Evaluation Form I get to use to evaluate their performance?) Their lack of foresight and planning has affected every person in this county. I don’t care if you are a parent with a child in the system, or a property owner, or a business owner. The quality of our school system affects all of our lives. How could this happen? We should all be asking for accountability.

The professional associations that have represented teachers, administrators and all staff members in this county have done yeoman’s work this past year standing up to the interests of the employees. If anyone is naive enough to think that we would not have had our benefits cut last year without the work of Joseph Jarrell and Dana Camp they have not been paying attention. (Oh, by the way, you were inaccurate in attributing the article about “Why not cut these school budget cuts” to Mr. Jarrell.) Their stream of information to employees forced spending decisions to be made that would have remained if we all had just “sucked it up” and not complained! The countless hours they have spent attending meetings and keeping their members informed is to be commended. These individuals and others who have spoken up are trying the best they can to make this board and administration accountable. You are the one that needs a reality check!

.... and forget that you are even a teacher. From an outsider's perspective, are you happy with the direction of the school system? Guess what, teachers are having to work WITHIN that declining system with bad personnel, bad decisions and bad financial management. Teachers would have a right to complain even if they weren't subject to the pay-cuts and furloughs. And for those who think the three days in the first semester were all they will be furloughed I say NOT UNLESS POLITICAL PRESSURE FORCES THE BOARD TO MAKE CUTS IN PLACES OTHER THEN IN TEACHER'S SALARIES.

As one who works with demographics and properties in a legal and analytical way, I see a tremendous loss in wealth and a major decline in your tax base as a direct result of the recent decline of your school system. That's the issue I have with what I am seeing.

"And Mr. Joseph Jarrell, whom I have the utmost respect for, I respectfully disagree. The teachers of Fayette County are not our most valuable asset. The students of this county and their families are what make this system great, and I’m saying that as a former graduate and current teacher in Fayette County. Folks, you all need a reality check."

My kid has had good teachers, and bad ones, more good than bad in Fayette county.

A good teacher is a wonderful thing for a child. Mine, being a teenager, will not take my advise on much of anything. Yet, he/she has a teacher or two that they make a point of trying to get in their class. My kid respects them and their judgement. It makes me feel good that they value someone's wisdom and I'm very grateful they can make a dent in my child.

By the same token, a burned out, pZZZZ off teacher is a very bad thing. We have some very good people here that I would hate to see else where.

I don't think of the teachers as complaining about the cut. We are all having to do on less. What I think is at the heart of their complaint is that they are taking a cut, while so much money has been squandered. Everyone who passes Rivers is reminded of it.

Ma'am, I'm very sorry I have offended your sensibilities by complaining about my pay cut and furlough days. I must have forgotten that you have the pragmatism and wisdom of years and experience to put me and my disappointed colleagues in our place. Oh, and that thing about the constitutional right to freedom of speech...it's only for YOU, right?

REALITY CHECK! How would you like to have to take 8 furlough days?? If you worked at Georgia State University you would be mandated to take 8 furlough days, with the potential of 2 more! Other state government agencies have been hit harder than the public schools. Good luck finding any government job in the state where people aren't taking furlough days. Bunch of childish prima donnas!

http://www.gsu.edu/staffcouncil/news.html

Tchr1 posts some pointed, risky, and thought provoking responses to some of the comments made by Fayette Co. teachers upset about the pay cuts. The general type of response seems to be a bunch of presumptive, personal attacks and putdowns (ex. “You must be a young educator . . . living with mommy and daddy,” “You are not so bold to add your name,” “I doubt that you are really a teacher in the county,” “Surely, you can't be teaching our children”). So you have virtually nothing substantive to say about the points made? What a bunch of spoiled, whiney babies! You should be ashamed and embarrassed of yourselves. Pathetic!

You obviously are drinking the kool-aid too! But then again, you may be a young educator still living at home with mommy and daddy. So a pay cut wouldn't hurt you. You, my friend, are the one that is naive. But obviously, you are not so bold to add your name to your letter. Wouldn't your coworkers love to know how supportive you are?

You must be a board member posing as a teacher, or related to a board member, right? How funny! Have you ever worked in another county? I have!! If you have taught in Clayton, Fulton, Dekalb or Atlanta, then you must be painfully aware that we have numerous students enrolled in our system that display the unbecoming characteristics of those students in the surrounding counties to which you refer. Some schools more so than others. And some classes more so than others. As the housing market continues to plunge I think it is safe to assume that we will attract more of that type student, don't you think so? One thing that you appear to be forgetting is, that for many of us, our jobs are our means of supporting our families and not just a hobby (as some would believe). People are going to look else where. I know that one board member was overheard stating that the teachers would not look else where, but I fear she may be wrong. You stated that people are lining up to work in this county? Where do you get that information?