Update; The sad, sorry state of public education in Huntsville, Alabama

Typo in original post, should read: The Huntsville City Schools spent 4 million to borrow 8 million.
Readers also might want to read about The sad, sorry state of seperate and unequal education in Selma, Alabama.

Public Education is under attack in Alabama

I found the subject of this diary during my morning blog stroll at radio boy's blog of all places. Radio boy ask why it's controversial for the Huntsville City Schools to hire temp workers to save money. Uh, because HCS didn't hire temp workers to save money, they hired temp workers to go around the tenure laws stupid.

The Huntsville school board has been paying millions of dollars to a private temp service to get around Alabama tenure laws.

"We've never done anything of this magnitude," said system auditor Rob Terry. "We've always had temporary services, but not to the level we've done this last year."

The issue first surfaced during the budget hearing earlier this month, as board members questioned the use of a staffing firm, Onin Group, to hire and supervise people who work in the city schools, doing everything from custodial work to supervising special needs children.

Saving money my Donkey!

"It just seems like we're wasting a lot of money," said Martinson during the budget hearing. 'If we're spending $4 million just to avoid somebody getting tenure and we need them anyway, that doesn't seem like a good use of money."

The HCS saved 4 million so they could borrow 8 million???

The board plans to spend $143.5 million on instructional salaries next year, down from $153.3 million last school year. Administrative salaries, which account for 3.2 percent of the budget, went up slightly from $5.6 million last year to $5.7 million this year.

Wheeler said the system may yet have to borrow money, up to $8 million, to make it through this fiscal year. "I think we probably will soon," said Wheeler, showing plans to pay off the short-term bank loan next year.

The system has already borrowed from itself, he said, taking $5.8 million set aside for construction in order to make payroll. That will also have to be paid back next year.
In the plus column, Wheeler placed federal stimulus money. The system is expecting another $5.5 million next year from the 2009 state stabilization package.

This is the same board who brokered a back room deal to pay the current, soon to be ex Superintendent to "consult" with the new Superintendent.

Superintendent Ann Roy Moore did not want to leave the central office in Huntsville City Schools, asking to step back into her old job as deputy superintendent.

More than 200 pages of e-mails and attachments from the behind the scenes negotiations show the school board rejected her attempt to stay. The board and Moore instead struck a compromise that keeps her on as a highly paid adviser for six months after her contract ends next summer

I've been participating in a online discussion regarding the upcoming school board elections in Huntsville and I've come the conclusion voters hate the Alabama Education Association more than they love our school students. The question is why?

The paranoia displayed by some folks is astounding and may only be self fulfilling.

When will voters stop voting out of spite and start voting for what is right (pun intended)?

Blair and Robinson fought the AEA while on the board and thus I support both of them.

Only in Alabama is the Alabama Education Association (AEA) treated like the enemy of the state. Contrary to popular right wing opinion, the AEA is not for the teachers and against the students, nor does it run and operate the Huntsville City School system. AEA is for the TEACHERS who TEACH the students. Why would they be against the students? What purpose does it serve to elect people so they can fight the TEACHERS who TEACH our children? If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same results. A sad, sorry, public education system. And who wins in the end? Not the chilren who are our future that's for sure.

If you can read this thank the Alabama Education Association. If you can't read this, thank the Huntsville City School System.