LETTER: School board must pay more attention to details

For starters, ask why our new board of education headquarters has a shower in a bathroom area when the roof at one of our schools leaks, mold grows on the ceiling tiles — tiles that are constantly replaced when it rains, because they fall out of the ceiling. Trash cans are used to catch the water. Why are our students and teachers sitting in those unhealthy environments?

Ask why we needed to add another part-time assistant superintendent position for curriculum and instruction during a budget crunch year. At the Aug. 10, 2010 board meeting, a recommendation was made to you by Dr. Allen McCannon, after his presentation regarding the bleakness of our school system’s economic future, to hire yet another assistant superintendent. You unanimously approved the position. No questions asked. And, the person you hired had a doctorate degree, which means, the taxpayers pay more money for that person’s salary than they would for one who did not have a doctorate. Why could we not have promoted our existing curriculum director to this high position when she has been extremely efficient and loyal to our system for so many years?

Ask about your local supplement spending. One of your assistant superintendents receives a $21,000 supplement, while another assistant superintendent, who has been in the system much, much longer receives only a $14,000 local supplement. Why? I was told by the larger-supplemented individual that the records had not been updated and when they were, both the assistant superintendents would each receive a $21,000 local supplement. She stated that these supplements were not out of line with what surrounding counties paid their administrators. The last time I checked, Madison County’s tax base was way out of line with Banks, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties.

Ask why our elementary teachers student supply lists are so long. Those lists are overly demanding on our parents, especially in these hard economic times. It is terrible when our teachers have to beg parents for supplies and still have to spend, on an annual basis, an average of $400 of their own furloughed money, when some of our former educational leaders spent their “discretionary funds” on $200 lunches at Pappadeaux’s and at Ruth Chris’ Steak House and had coffee with friends at Cup of Karma for $85! How many student supplies could we have bought with that extra money?

Ask why the printers at the high school are now in a closet rather than where the teachers left them when they went home for the summer.

Ask why the board of education office employees do not have to “swipe” in their arrival and departure times, while all other employees must do so. I do understand that this system was and is a free program to be used to protect our students, but in what other ways will and can it be used?

Will our faculty and staff get overtime pay when they have to stay later for meetings and events or is overtime for a select few at the board office? I suppose the faculty was rewarded with extended time with students and less instruction planning time for them. Ask the teachers, if they get extended-day pay for the added student time and ask about how the extended day compensation is determined.

Ask why board of education employees’ children are allowed to go to their parents’ offices after school, while children of teachers are not allowed in their parents’ classroom under any circumstances.

A consequence of your after school rule affects so many of your teachers in a negative way. What other options could be considered?

Again, board members, question your leaders. It is better to be informed by them, rather than by state auditors, professional practice commissioners and anonymous gatherers of e-mails.

Sincerely,

Elaine Belfield