SPS Ponders Cuts

Focus Groups

Community Relations Director, Marc Manes, presented the results of focus group meetings held with teachers to the school board during last Tuesday's Study Session. Teacher participants in the focus groups were randomly selected from all across the district. While many of the items covered in these discussions will eventually be decided at the bargaining table, Mr. Manes did a great job of including all the teacher input, including some issues that were not originally on the agenda - and some issues that the district has heretofore brushed aside or ignored.

An Unreliable Source

Anybody who has been paying attention should know by now that the state of Missouri has become an unreliable source of revenue for public school districts, as we continue our race to the bottom in education funding. Given the structure of both state houses after the last election and the inherited shortfalls in revenue, another tough year for education funding is a veritable certainty this year, and every district in the state is trying to make adjustments.

In Springfield, the district has already cut an estimated $15 million from the budget over the past two years - and we all know that freezing salaries and cutting health benefits have been a big part of that effort. Fitting teacher compensation and benefits has been part of the "end game" of the budget process. Perhaps that will change this year, as there is some evidence that the administration recognizes the devastating affect that a three-year freeze on salaries would bring.

Start Times, 4-Day Week, End to Block Scheduling . . .

The district has "floated" several ideas on possible budget cuts over the past few months, including changing start times, a proposed 4-day work week and an end to block scheduling in order to reduce FTE at the secondary level. After reviewing the results from discussion with teachers across the district, Dr. Ridder announced that these proposals will be "set aside" for the 2011-12 school year. There will be an effort, however, to align high school schedules so that intra-district transfer students will not suffer credit losses.

Administrative Program Cuts Coming

How much the $15 million in cuts have affected classrooms over the past two years is debatable at this point, but teachers were very clear in their focus group responses that there are plenty of administrative costs that have yet to be addressed. In his remarks to the board on Tuesday, Dr. Ridder clearly acknowledged that program cuts and position cuts at the administrative level are a certainty for 2011-12. It is highly probable that the flow chart of top administrative positions at KAC will have a distinctly different look in 2011-12.

Continuous Classroom Improvement Facilitators (CCIFs, formerly ISSIs) administrative positions were prominently mentioned in teacher discussions, as well as Professional Development programs and the plethora of WFSG and other meetings that are viewed by many as redundant and unnecessary.

The report to the school board listed the following input from focus groups concerning
Professional Development:

Consolidation of PD activities to save and reduce staff time
Second and third year Step Up could be scaled back
More experienced teachers do not see the benefit of Step Up commensurate with cost
PD often seems repetitive to staff
Cost vs. Impact
Takes time away from teaching

Regarding Continuous Classroom Improvement (CCI) and CCI Facilitators:

Documentation seems excessive and repetitive
Few teachers see direct impact of CCIFs
Cost vs. Benefit of CCI and CCIFs not apparent
Many leaders would prefer to retain teaching FTE vs. CCIFs

Additional Comments and Concerns:

Rehiring retired personnel on a part-time basis could be eliminated
Duplication of training with some technology
Cost and disruption of MAP and Performance Series testing
Retirement incentives for late career teachers and administrators
Perceived lack of cuts at central office
SPS spends too much on facilities: lease purchase for new KAC.

The Straight Scoop

As one who has attended virtually every school board meeting for five years, one couldn't help but notice that the November 16 Board Study Session was a huge departure from the norm. These issues were being aired by an administrator - not a teacher representative - and there was no avoidance of controversial or uncomfortable issues. The board received the straight scoop on these discussions, and that was refreshing to say the least. Teachers are to be commended for speaking up during their focus sessions, and the district deserves high praise for listening to the voices of those that work in the classrooms and for not sugar-coating their report to the board. The topics were difficult, and budget prospects may not be that promising, but there was an air of honesty and a basic respect for teachers that we hadn't seen in a long time.

Ray Smith, President
Springfield NEA