Teachers’ union works to restore ESP positions and hours
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – The Alachua County Education Association (ACEA) is circulating a petition calling for a reversal of cuts to Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) in the school district.
The Staffing Allocations Manual that was approved at the May 6 School Board of Alachua County meeting cuts the numbers of ESPs for some schools, reduces the hours per day for some positions, and cuts some 12-month employees to 11-month schedules.
The petition states, “Their jobs still need to be done. So what will the effects be? Will they be expected to do the same amount of work with less time? Will their work be dumped on someone else? Or will the other employees and students just be left without these services?”
ACEA Service Unit Director Crystal Tessman said, “We began collecting signatories on this petition Monday evening, and 315 employees, parents, and community supporters have already signed it. The cuts that have been made to ESP positions will have catastrophic effects on the lives of these employees and the students and schools that they serve. Please find a different place to make these cuts.”
The petition states that the district is “starting to walk back some of these cuts,” but Alachua County Public Schools PIO Jackie Johnson told Alachua Chronicle, “School-based positions were presented and approved at the last School Board meeting. The district is in the process of placing school-based ESPs (and other staff) into vacant positions and hopes to have most placed before the end of school. The district will be bringing district-based positions to the School Board at the next meeting, June 3rd.”
I suggest you circulate a petition asking if the Superintendent’s salary should be cut and the aforementioned petition.
I’m confident with how those numbers would look.
By the way, any word on what District level “savings” were achieved?
Who are they supporting on the 100+ days of no classes?
There is plenty of work for the ESPs in the elementary schools on days without students.
Carmen Ward looks like the villain from Rocky and Bullwinkle.
She’s a villain alright. She’s been taking money from union members for years and has 2x the salary of many of them to prove it.
If there are any teachers reading, how many of you would prefer her salary over yours?
If Ms. Ward is reading, would you take the 1.3% raise and the associated salary of those you represent instead of what you get now?
Natasha!
Roz from Monsters Inc too.
What budget cuts did they present to offset the cost to add back the positions in the budget?
They are cutting positions at the school level students are serviced. Instead, why not start at the district. Put these teachers on special assignment in classrooms instead of paying long term subs. Remove all the “Esser” positions that should be gone and if they are hired in a new position pay them for that position not continuing to keep the high esser rate. All those positions were able to keep much higher pay rates. Why does our district need 2 asst. superintendent who could not move up when needed?
You have a finance department that failed to budget for summer- replace them.
The 1.3% raise for admin was considered insignificant by the new board member but seemed a very significant amount for teachers from the board.
There are so many issues the state taking over may not be the worst thing.