Friday, September 25, 2009

Leveling Day In CCSD

Each year, after the third Friday, we have a day we call "Leveling". This is where schools that a student population is lower than the projected gives up teachers, administrators and support staff to schools that went over their projection.
This year, we lost an assistant principal, 2 special education teachers, and 3 regular education teachers in various subjects. We also lost a self-contained classroom. We also lost a secretary and a special education aide. Now, these people are not laid off, they just are placed at a school that needs them.
When a teacher or support staff position is eliminated at a school, they ask for volunteers in the subject area that is to be eliminated. If there are not enough, then the choice is done by seniority.
However, if an assistant principal or counselor is to be eliminated, they ask for volunteers and if they have too many or too few volunteers, then the principal makes the decision. The reason seniority is not in play is because assistant principals and counselors can move any time of the year, unlike teachers who want to transfer can only transfer at the end of the school year in June. (CCSD has many 12 month schools, so in those school never ends- just a change of staff and students)
On Thursday, the teachers and support staff held a large meeting in separate locations. Based on seniority, they get to pick their new teaching assignments. For some teachers, especially those with high seniority, they may end up going to a better teaching situation for them. For those on the low end of the totem pole, they may end up in a bad school or teaching a subject they don't like.
For administrators, it is the opposite- the schools pick the administrators they want.
In the end, no one loses their job.
Then moving day comes. They are given 1 day to clean out their offices and classrooms and move them to their new school. For some teachers, it is no big deal, others, they have years of papers and books in their rooms and it all has to be moved. It is quite stressful.
For students, most are not affected. For those who are, they get new teachers, new schedules and have to get used to new teachers. Depending if a school is getting more or less teachers, it may mean smaller or larger classes for them. While it is not as stressful for teachers, nonetheless, it is stressful.
All in all, in the end, it does help the school district save money for this day of inconvenience. It is a necessary evil, but in the end, it is worth it. I do know, other school districts, especially large school districts don't do this, but they should.

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