The Sting

A lot of experienced teachers awoke this morning before the sun came to visit. They showered, poured a cup of coffee, opened their morning newspaper…

Teachers will likely feel sting of shortfall

Teachers over age 50 and those with fewer than three years of experience are likely to be most affected by budget cuts.

…and spilled their coffee all over themselves. Exactly a month too early for April Fools’ Day, teachers all over the area perked up and stared at the headline from Courtney Cutright’s front page article in The Roanoke Times in disbelief.

Although the headline was screaming at the top of its lungs this morning, the information within the article really didn’t surprise teachers and educators in Roanoke County; however, the article did break new ground. Teachers in the county have been aware for some time now that non-renewals and reductions are a distinct possibility. We also have known that salaries will most likely be frozen, and that the school board is working diligently to lessen the impact of the state’s insane budget cuts.

The revelation that teachers over age 50 are likely to be most affected by the cuts is a bit of hyperbole. We’ve known since the last school board meeting that the board is offering a new retirement deal for teachers over the age of 50 with at least ten years of experience. These teachers may choose to retire and accept $2500 for five years toward the county health insurance premium or they may choose a lump sum of $12,500 if they do not wish to receive health insurance from the county. Deadline to apply for this offer in writing is March 19. So, it’s not really true that those over 50 are likely to be most affected. Those educators will only be affected by their own choice.

Teachers with less than three years of experience, however, are certainly in line to be most affected by any reduction. Generally, the county will process all possible nonrenewals before dipping into the well to reduce continuing contract teachers. What that means is that teachers, who do not have tenure, will be let go first if positions need to be eliminated. The idea seems straight-forward as well as unavoidably tragic.

That being said, there is some murkiness in county policy regarding Reductions in Force (RCPS Policy 5.38) and elimination of teaching positions. The policy alludes to “Senority Lists” for continuing contract teachers, but there is no mention of what these lists are and when they are to be published or released to the teachers. For transparency-sake, this list should be available to all teachers in a timely manner so that they can be prepared in case a reduction creeps into their category.

Non-tenured, non-continuing contract teachers have “no official standing.” This means that the county can dismiss them without cause given as long as the county follows The Code of Virginia § 22.1-305. Their contracts are simply not renewed. There is nothing in RCPS Policy 5.38 that addresses any particular order in non-renewing, no mention of any seniority considerations for non-tenured teachers. How such de-staffing is approached should be clearly defined and explained to any teachers potentially affected as soon as possible. Will the personnel department, utilizing defined categories, base nonrenewals on contractual hiring dates? Will de-staffing happen within each school base with the site administrator making the final determination on who is released? A clearly worded definition of procedural intent would be appropriate and welcome.

Courtney Cutright’s article is her best education piece to date. She took time to research carefully the financial side of the budget equation and delivered information and content that no media source has reported. Ms. Cutright relied on information gained through her Freedom of Information Act request. She mixes in timely reactions from the school board leaders in both Roanoke City and Roanoke County and infuses excellent VEA Research information to create a factual, balanced piece.

“Teachers will likely feel the sting of shortfall” is no surprise for educators in Roanoke County, but it may come as an eye-opening bucket of cold water on the heads of the public. What the State of Virginia is about to do to our public school system is reprehensible and destructive. There’s simply no way around that. Teachers, parents, and, most importantly, children- will feel the sting of this shortfall.