At Monday night's meeting, Mr. Hancock offered to take a 5% cut in pay and associated benefits, citing the savings to the school at around $5000. What few people caught was his proviso that it be accompanied by a 5% reduction in the number of days worked.
Here is a copy of the new contract. The line at the very bottom was not on his last contract, which I posted on June 7th.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
It seems to me that Mr. Hancock has come under fire this year for doing what most other superintendents would have done under similar circumstances. The budget mess didn't originate in Cloudcroft, and it's not unique to Cloudcroft. It's a crisis shared by school districts everywhere. Now, some are saying...
ReplyDelete"Well, $5000 is just a drop in the bucket." That's true. But it's CLOUDCROFT's bucket...
and no one else has dropped anything into it.
A few teachers dropped $45,000/yr into that bucket. How much have you dropped in?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteWell, I've worked in the district for 19 years, spending several thousand dollars a year on my students & classroom (I have receipts)...I haven't had a pay raise in about six years, although insurance and other "pay roll" items have increased. It's true, I can't afford to contribute another $5000 as Mr. Hancock has, nor can I afford to retire at this point. I assume your $45,000 reference is about the RIF process that affected some of our VERY BEST -- but "less-time-employed" (for lack of a better term) -- teachers.
I know them and I'm angry about what's happened, also. That doesn't change the fact that the RIF process is happening everywhere. Anne DeLay, our former school nurse who moved to Houston and worked in their district for over five years stopped by to visit recently. SHE WAS CAUGHT IN THE HOUSTON SCHOOL RIF THIS SPRING. So, where did the budget problem start? I think at the Feberal and State levels and now it's filtering down to everyone everywhere.
Yes, I do know how to spell "Federal."
ReplyDeleteI have personally witnessed Mr. D dropping a lot more than cash into the bucket. In fact, I strongly argue that what he has dropped into the bucket is far more valuable than money.
ReplyDeleteHe has dropped his personal time, talent, heart and soul into that bucket.
I don't blame Mr. Hancock for the budget shortfall. I DO hold him responsible for how the school deals with the budget shortfall. I DO hold him responsible for RIFing teachers when he should have cut administrators. I DO hold him responsible for ensuring that he has qualified and caring staff to teach our children. I DO hold him responsible for the performance of those who report to him.
I'll be watching to see if he brings up his cut in pay at every possible opportunity...but conveniently leaves out that it went hand-in-hand with a cut in days worked.
If Cloudcroft is interested in maintaining the education level with the 4-day week, it needs teachers as dedicated and enthusiastic as Mr. Daniels.
ReplyDeleteHe is one of the teachers who I know will go above and beyond anything mandated, and this is what Cloudcroft needs at this time.
It is vital to keep such teachers at the school, and I would like to add a (highly controversial) "at any cost", as that is how I feel.
One can disagree on issues, but that should never let one forget the wonderful work he and other teachers are doing in Cloudcroft, and the personal effort and resources that these teachers put into their classrooms (on many levels).
The important point here and now is to give those teachers the possibility to excel in the work they enjoy.
I do hope that the School Administration and the School Board recognize the importance of this, and are willing to make meaningful sacrifices for the good of the Cloudcroft Schools in the future.
Friedrich Woeger