Hiring Freeze for Teachers In Fulton County (transfer to, schools)

[Sweet Atlanta Peach]

I didn't think it was so. My principal just gave some astounding news today from her principal's meeting...Fulton County Schools is suffering a $50 million budget short fall...meaning MAJOR cuts!! There IS a hiring freeze for next year for teachers. All recruitment fairs have been canceled. There are 300 teachers who will be surplused, meaning that there are more teachers in the system than jobs. Any new schools opening next year will offer positions to surplused teachers, and others will be shifted around the county so that everyone can at least keep a job.

They will not have a say-so in what grade they want or what school they want to go to. Principals at the new schools will only be allowed to select grade level chairs and people on the administrative team. Existing teachers are who are eligible will not be allowed to transfer to any other schools because those positions will be allocated to the teachers on the surplus list. Human resources will have a HUGE role in placing these teachers. So there is a possibility that a teacher living in south Fulton will have to commute to north Fulton if they want a job, because if the decline the job, they will not HAVE a job.

Who would have ever thought that it would come to this? Wow! I am sure other counties are going through something similar so it is not likely that any new teachers (especially on the elementary level) will be hired for next year.

[ambersmom722]

I hear you. I teach in Gwinnnett County (2nd yr..after 9.5 yrs in Dekalb) and I NEVER thought things would get this bad. My school has over 1300 students and my grade level (1st) and Kindergarten will each lose a class (back down to 11). The county had already voted to increase our class size by 1 student to save 33 million. NOW the state is increasing class size. Needless to say, Im in a brand new building (this is its first yr being opened) and Im in the trailer. I am bracing for at LEAST 24 students in there for next yr....if Im still there.

(I dont know why I feel iffy about the contracts coming out tomorrow. Instead of placing them in our box as they did last yr, they want us to pick them up in the office. Who knows?)