$10 Million To Save Or Create 130 Escambia School Jobs

May 28, 2009

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The Escambia County School District will save or create about 130 jobs using $10 million in federal stimulus funds.

The plan approved Wednesday by the school board will see $5.2 million used for reading coaches, teachers for in-school suspension programs, psychologists, bus aids and clerk. Of the $5.2 million, about $1.8 million will go toward the goal of funding a reading coach at every county school. The reading coaches work with existing staff to implement specific goals in a school’s reading program.

The school district currently has 14 reading coaches in a program called “Reading First”.  In North Escambia, schools with reading coaches this year are Bratt Elementary and  Carver/Century K-8 School. Escambia County’s program was recognized as one of the top 25 percent in the state. But Congress has cut funding for the program.

Another $2 million of the stimulus funds will be used for materials, training and equipment for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programs, including $155,000 for a district audiology clinic to be located at Holm Elementary.

The district has allocated $438,000 for professional development and training, and $264,000 for advanced student programs in middle and high schools.

Another $1.5 million is earmarked for Warrington Middle School, a low performing school in a “turnaround” program.

Pictured above: Lee Cassady (left), Reading First coach at Carver/Century K-8 and Tammy Calloway (right), Reading First coach at Bratt Elementary. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

3 Responses to “$10 Million To Save Or Create 130 Escambia School Jobs”

  1. Jack Moran on May 30th, 2009 5:59 am

    Good approach Max. Also divide $10,000,000 by 130 jobs = $76,900.00 or so per job. ? ? ? How much is the take-home?

  2. Max on May 29th, 2009 2:19 pm

    I think it is wonderful that our school district is getting $10 million in stimulus funding. However it is misleading when the district tells us that the same $10 million is going to save or create 130 jobs. This stimulus money would be far better used to maintain “classroom” teaching positions that are being lost instead of hiring reading coaches, inschool suspension teachers, psychologists, bus aides, and clerks, building audiology clinics, ESE programs, professional development and training (conferences). By my calcuations $10 million divided by an average wage of $35000 could either save or replace 286 full time teacher positions. We need to get back to focusing on the nuts and bolts of education instead of wasting our resources teaching to a test (FCAT).

  3. gerri on May 28th, 2009 9:18 am

    I taught with Lee for 12 years – she is an excellent teacher.