Top teachers in Seminole angry about being dropped

Some of the most experienced teachers in Seminole County schools are being pushed out the door because of budget cuts, but school-district officials say they have no choice.

[thanks but time to go]

Sorry, can't feel bad for you. You've already got top pay for years, and you already retired once. Don't forget that big FAT pension payment that is waiting for you. DROP teachers cost more than twice what new teachers cost. You aren't owed anything.

[uh huh]

thanks but time to go wrote:

Sorry, can't feel bad for you. You've already got top pay for years, and you already retired once. Don't forget that big FAT pension payment that is waiting for you. DROP teachers cost more than twice what new teachers cost. You aren't owed anything.

Yep, can't feel bad for the students either, students who will now go from studying science with a Harvard award winning educator to studying it with someone fresh out of alternative certification and zero teaching experience.

Moron.

[uh huh]

God forbid that a teacher should find a way to earn twice the pittance that this lousy state pays.

They are now cutting teacher trainings in Orange County. I tried to sign up for a professional development class and was told the class is being dropped due to budget cuts. Hmmmm.....

[Glasnos]

uh huh wrote:

<quoted text>
Yep, can't feel bad for the students either, students who will now go from studying science with a Harvard award winning educator to studying it with someone fresh out of alternative certification and zero teaching experience.
Moron.

Oh yes ... I can see it now ... education levels for high school graduates in Florida drop. LOL ... As if they could go any lower... even if the janitor staff took over teaching.

Vouchers NOW!

[Steve]

Dave, I know you were there last night but I’m not sure you heard what was happening.
This is not about budget cuts. This is about a massive curriculum change. It was ironic to hear Sandy read the football analogy. Make everyone achieve at the same low level so there is No Child Left Behind. This has become the anthem of SEMINOLE county.

First - Dr Vogel stated there is no DROP extension program for administrators. This is just semantics. What Dr. Vogel has is the lifetime employment plan. He will say there is no guarantee, but EVERY administrator who has finished DROP has been rehired. The only ones who have not come back are the ones who chose not to come back.

Second – This board did not say that all AC teachers are being told they will not be back and that all positions that open will be first filled by DROP extensions. Teachers, like the one you mentioned, with 35 years of experience are being denied employment by the same group of people who encouraged them to take advantage of the DROP program. They are also being replaced by unproven, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year teachers. Which would you rather have teaching your kids? Award winning teachers or unproven teachers.

Third – There are 200 to 300 brand new teachers that come into the system every year who know At THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR they may not have a job the next year. They have an entire year to get prepared. These teachers are being told in April that after 35 years of service, they do not have a job after June.

Fourth – The attrition rate is 300-400 teachers every year. If 300-400 teachers leave, why are these folks being told there is no position for them?

Fifth – I am sick of hearing about declining enrollment. The board said the enrollment was down 2000 kids over the past few years. 400 teachers represent around 8000 kids. My goodness, this means there is a teacher deficit of 300. Why on earth would you turn your back on award winning veteran teachers with excellent evaluations, and replace them with unknowns? This is not good business sense.

More to follow.

[Rick]

No, let's pay for a new Arena and high salaries for basketball players. It is all so senseless. Our priorities as a nation have been blemished.

[florida native]

charge the developers that continue to build so that more people move here, they have deep pockets

[sorry]

I cant feel bad for them because Ive been teaching for 5 years in florida and still dont know if I will have a job. They knew this might happen if they took drop. Unfortunately the teachers are unable to rehire themselves like the admins are.

[Steve]

None of these folks are asking for sympathy. They are asking this school board to be honorable and to follow thru with their promises and past practices. Dee Dee said she would not put a price tag on learning. What on earth does she think is happening here? What is so appalling is it is all unjustified.

[Joy Wood]

When signing up for the DROP program, teachers are informed that they have no rehiring rights after the 5-year period ends. Why are they complaining about this now? If it was a concern, they should not have signed up for DROP. This is a voluntary program.

[Steve]

Joy, so you think that the school board has no obligation to employee's who have dedicated their lives to this county and that these people should be let go and replaced by new, unproven teachers who have a 50/50 chance of not being here in the next 5 years? Again, not a sound business practice.

[Teacher teacher]

I am SHOCKED, I tell you, SHOCKED to hear that teachers are getting shafted here!

[Littrell]

Wake up people! this is not only about the teachers here. have you forgotten about the students? it seems like just last year everyone was worried about having smaller class sizes and needing more teachers; now whats going to happen? class sizes go back up to 35 or 40 students? whats the point of going to work everyday if you cant even remember such a thing as your students names?

[Jeez]

Get rid of all the illegals in the US and you will see how much surplus tax money becomes available.

[Former Instructor]

Does this mean the remaining instructors/teachers will be overloaded with students in their classrooms?

[Kaylee42]

Former Instructor wrote:

Does this mean the remaining instructors/teachers will be overloaded with students in their classrooms?

Pretty much. Teachers in at one Orange County high school have been told not to be too surprised if they had 40 or more students in their classrooms; this same school is eliminating 20+ teaching positions.

It's not that the school doesn't *need* the teachers. It's just they can't pay for them.

[Alan]

Fire my kids worthless math teacher and replace her with a veteran then cut the administration jobs before eliminating even one teacher. Seminole still has to pay for that new building full of duds and double dipping has beens.

[teacher]

Steve wrote:

Dave, I know you were there last night but I’m not sure you heard what was happening.
This is not about budget cuts. This is about a massive curriculum change. It was ironic to hear Sandy read the football analogy. Make everyone achieve at the same low level so there is No Child Left Behind. This has become the anthem of SEMINOLE county.
First - Dr Vogel stated there is no DROP extension program for administrators. This is just semantics. What Dr. Vogel has is the lifetime employment plan. He will say there is no guarantee, but EVERY administrator who has finished DROP has been rehired. The only ones who have not come back are the ones who chose not to come back.
Second – This board did not say that all AC teachers are being told they will not be back and that all positions that open will be first filled by DROP extensions. Teachers, like the one you mentioned, with 35 years of experience are being denied employment by the same group of people who encouraged them to take advantage of the DROP program. They are also being replaced by unproven, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year teachers. Which would you rather have teaching your kids? Award winning teachers or unproven teachers.
Third – There are 200 to 300 brand new teachers that come into the system every year who know At THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR they may not have a job the next year. They have an entire year to get prepared. These teachers are being told in April that after 35 years of service, they do not have a job after June.
Fourth – The attrition rate is 300-400 teachers every year. If 300-400 teachers leave, why are these folks being told there is no position for them?
Fifth – I am sick of hearing about declining enrollment. The board said the enrollment was down 2000 kids over the past few years. 400 teachers represent around 8000 kids. My goodness, this means there is a teacher deficit of 300. Why on earth would you turn your back on award winning veteran teachers with excellent evaluations, and replace them with unknowns? This is not good business sense.
More to follow.

Great points!! Of the nine science teachers in my high school, 3 are first year, the other 6 have 4 years experience or less, so this one teacher has more experience than my whole department combined. Oh, and no students did a science fair project, much less qualify to go to state. I hope parents in your county make a lot of noise over this.

[Bill]

Some of you might want to rethink keeping a teacher that has 35 years of experience on, rather than one that has 3-5 years.

The teachers that have 3-5 years of experience probably have more energy, can relate better to the kids they are teaching, and are likely to get involved in more activities in the school.

The school which I teach in, this very situation is occuring and I would rather have the younger teacher because the older teacher doesn't seem to have kept up with the times.

[My opinion]

Susan has a sense of entitlement that only a government employee could have. She got greedy and took the gamble of higher pay vs. seniority and came up short. Godspeed.