Atlanta won't furlough teachers

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Atlanta won't furlough teachers
July 29, 2009
By Nancy Badertscher
AJC

he State Board of Education on Wednesday cleared the way for school systems to furlough teachers.

Some systems, including Atlanta, DeKalb and Cobb, do not plan to furlough staff, opting instead to find money in their own coffers.

But most systems in the metro area, including Gwinnett and Fulton, have announced furlough plans that eat up one or more pre-planning days next month, just before school starts.

Teachers have been gearing up for the new school year with the knowledge that many of them may be working three days -- and possibly up to seven more -- without pay.

They’re technically not expected to report to work on furlough days, but, they have classrooms to organize and lessons to plan, said State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox.

“Our teachers are very dedicated, and they will likely be in the classrooms getting ready for the new school year, furlough days or not,” Cox said.

The state approved a blanket waiver so school systems can begin furloughing teachers and other support personnel for three days. The plan is part of the latest round of budget cuts pushed by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

To the average teacher, a three-day furlough means the loss of about $600, according to estimates from one teacher’s group.

The waiver also gives school systems the flexibility, should economic conditions worsen, to furlough teachers up to seven more days, or a total of 10 days in the 2009-2010 school year.

Current state law requires teachers to work 190 days, 180 on instruction and 10 on planning and training. The waiver lets systems reduce the school year to 180 days, without additional state approval, Cox said.

Bert Brantley, Perdue’s director of communications, said late Tuesday there’s no immediate plans for more furlough days.

“Three is the number that we planned on and what we calculated we needed,” Brantley said. “If everybody can just understand that we’re in uncertain economic times and in uncertain revenue times.”

Officials have estimated that the state can save $33 million a day for each day that the state’s 120,000 teachers take unpaid furloughs.

Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), said Tuesday his group is continuing to research whether school systems can change teachers’ contracts and impose furloughs, relying on a loophole that says most contracts are “contingent upon state funding.”

“Right now additional days beyond the three are hypothetical, so I can’t comment on what we would do later in the year if more are called for,” Callahan said. “No question the announcement just as school is about to start has seriously dampened morale.”

Lilburn resident Justin Machado, whose wife teaches in Gwinnett County, said it was “very disappointing” to see the state board approve furloughs.

“It’s tough and, to think it might be even bigger, it gets us thinking: When is it going to stop?” he said.

Machado said preparing his wife’s classroom for the start of the new school year has always been a family project. That won’t change, even though it will mean she’s working on a furlough day.

“There is no way any teacher is not going to be working,” he said. “There’s just too much to do.”

Cox said the State Department of Education has had layoffs and has all employees taking five unpaid furlough days between now and December, she said.

“It kind of stinks, but everybody’s doing their part,” Cox said