It did not take me long to decide that I wanted to further my education because I knew that I could do more to benefit the students I was working with. So, after 16 years of being out of school, I enrolled in Mercer University through the Regional Academic Center in Eastman.
Through great support from my family, friends and colleagues, I persevered and made sacrifices while I was a full-time college student, a full-time parapro, a part-time cashier at Wal-Mart, maintained my honor status at Mercer and provided for my three children. I am not wanting sympathy from my administrators that decided to RIF (Reduction In Force) me or the school board members who approved the RIF recommendations or even from the people of Dodge County, but just an understanding that I truly, with all my heart and soul, was not aware that on May 12th all my hard work and efforts were in vain.
As I sat in the principal’s office, feeling like a student who was being told that they were suspended from school, I felt like I was having a nightmare and that I soon would wake up and it would all be okay. I realized it was not okay as I heard my administrator still talking and begin to explain my rights as a displaced educator, I felt the tears well up in my eyes and a lump in my throat. When he finished giving me the little run down of his and the Super’s reasons for terminating me and handed me my “pink slip,” I could not hold me peace or my tears.
I am not ashamed of what I said because I know I spoke the truth and it was from the heart. I told my administrators, when they concluded their “termination legalities,” that I felt they were not justified in their decision to let me go because I know that there are teachers working in the education field for the wrong reasons and those are the ones that should have been RIF-ed.
Even now as the months have passed, I still cannot fathom how eliminating my $33,000.00 yearly salary helped the Dodge County School budget deficit, which was over $1.1 million!
I ask this question, to the board members and Dodge County School Administrators:
If you knew prior to the RIF that you could eliminate $900,00.00 of the school deficit by not renewing contracts for teachers that are eligible for retirement, then why do you renew them? (Especially since first year’s teachers work for far less than teachers with 30 years!)
Another question that I have is why when a 30-year teacher retires, he or she is given the opportunity to be rehired and placed in a 49 percent position? You may argue the point that those teachers are needed, which may be true. However, they are only working part-time, but still receiving teacher salary according to their last teaching year, which is usually $60, 000.00, $70,000.00, or even $80,000.00+! Why can’t those teachers just work as substitutes? That would help cut lots of budget money; wouldn’t it?
Another question I ask of the school board is if I was RIF-ed due to budget cuts in June, then how is it possible that new teachers have been hired with your approval since my termination?
Although months have passed since my termination from South Dodge Elementary, I am still hurt by the way I was treated by school administrators, present school board members and the superintendent. I am sharing my story with the citizens of Dodge County so when they go to the polls in November they can consider these things before they cast their vote for their school board representative.
Lastly, I would like to say thank you to Dr. Darrell May, Dr. Elvis Davis, Pastor Kim Sheffield, Shirley Ikedionwu, Chuck Parkerson and Rocky Stuckey for sending me to the unemployment and welfare line because I have learned that after working for 24 years I am only entitled to $1,200.00 a month of unemployment benefits and about $200.00 worth of food stamps for me and my three children.
A displaced educator sincerely hoping for some answers and a new school board,
Mallory White
Sorry, to ramble on about sports, but its just one of the reasons teachers are losing jobs. Wasted money. Place education before sports, not the opposite. Look at the brand new bleachers the football program got this past summer. Yes, I know that was SPLOST money, but that money could have been used for books or new/more technology for our kid's classrooms. I also believe a school board member needs a college education or even be a teacher or retired teacher.
How about cutting out the school board's pay? Yes, they get paid to be a board member, its not volunteer work. Let the board members take a pay cut since they already have a job. Some board members can't even manage their own finances and we want them to manage our school's?
I also commend you on your bravery, yes, bravery, to stand up and tell the world about how the county runs their..I mean ..OUR school system.
One person on the page claims to haqve taken a pay cut, she/he must be one of very few.
The jobs that were 'created' by friends for their friends..are still working. The people who could be retired are still working.
As you stated, a 'new-er hire' will always work for less than a 30 year person. The newly hired teacher will also be more involved with the students, less child-weary and in a rut. New hires are also less likely to judge the child based on the fact that they taught the older siblings, etc.
As for the office work, any number of talented younger people could be j\hired to work at the school board with one salary of the 30 year people paying the salary of two new hires. It's a shame that the board continues to say 'business as usual. lets take care of our friends, the people will just have to suck it up'... instead of 'let's be realistic and get rid of our dead weight and bring on some new talent! This is why they ALL must go. As in all other offices all over the United States, we, the people are SICK of 'business as usual!'