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| 107 LPS employees laid off; June 2, 2009 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 2 2009, 08:44 PM (2,391 Views) | |
| Mrs.M | Jun 2 2009, 08:44 PM Post #1 |
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http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090602/NEWS10/90602019/1027/107+Livonia+teachers+pink-slipped 107 Livonia teachers pink-slipped By Karen Smith • Observer Staff Writer • June 2, 2009 The Livonia school board voted to pink-slip 107 teachers Monday, almost double the number it laid off last June. Unlike last year, when all but one teacher was called back, some of the 107 likely won’t be teaching for Livonia Public Schools in 2009-10, said Donna McDowell, administrator of communications. The board expects to eliminate 25-30 teaching positions next school year to help erase a $7.5 million deficit in the district’s projected $160 million budget. Board members said the decision to notify teachers that their contracts won’t be renewed for next year is one of the hardest decisions they make all year. By contract, notification must be made in June even though staffing decisions for the following September are not yet final. “When you see the names, that’s the part that keeps you up at night,” Trustee Dan Lessard said. “Yet, it needs to be done.” Trustee Robert Freeman, who as board secretary signed the notification letters to the teachers, said one of the teachers on the list is his children’s former baby-sitter. Board President Cynthia Markarian, who did not seek re-election after serving five years on the board, teared up talking about the layoff vote. “I’m not going to be here to call you back and that’s tough,” she said, adding she will be praying for those on the list. Supt. Randy Liepa said the district will bring back as many teachers as it possibly can. He said the teachers were actively recruited from hundreds of applicants, and they became part of the LPS family. McDowell said for the past three years, the district has been able to call back all but one teacher — an art teacher. She said the recall process, which starts almost immediately, begins as the district looks at its staffing needs based on enrollment projections at each of the buildings, student class selection and the status of teachers on leave. She said seniority, certification and qualifications are all taken into consideration. Early retirement incentives during the past three years allowed the district to call back more teachers than it probably otherwise could have, McDowell said. Approximately 100 teachers took early retirement during that period, she said. The teachers received their notices Tuesday. The board also expects to eliminate 15 paraprofessional jobs, eight support staff positions, a principal and an assistant principal and about six clerk positions as part of $4.3 million in cuts. The cuts, combined with $2 million in revenue enhancements and $1.2 million from fund equity, would balance the budget for 2009-10, according to administrators. The board has yet to make a final decision on the cuts. Livonia projects an enrollment decline of 300 students, resulting in a revenue loss of about $2.58 million. Meanwhile, costs for step increases, health care, retirement and other expenses continue to climb, according to administrators. ksmith@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-2098 |
| I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG. | |
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| Mrs.M | Jun 2 2009, 09:05 PM Post #2 |
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RECOMMENDATION: Move that the Board of Education of the Livonia Public Schools School District accept the recommendation of the superintendent that the teachers as listed be laid off for the school year 2009-10 and that their teaching contracts not be renewed at the end of the 2008-09 school year. It is further resolved that the records show that the reasons for this action are a result of the budget process, the district’s financial situation, enrollment changes, teachers returning from leave, and program changes. Be it further resolved that the Board of Education direct the secretary of the Board to send a letter to each of the individuals listed officially notifying them that their teaching contracts will not be renewed at the end of the 2008-09 school year and that they will be laid off as teachers in the Livonia Public Schools School District. RATIONALE: Specific staff reduction information and layoff list will be provided at the Board meeting. RESOURCE PERSONNEL: Dorothy A. Chomicz Cynthia E. DeMan EXHIBIT: See attachments on June 1, 2009 |
| I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG. | |
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| Micki | Jun 2 2009, 09:54 PM Post #3 |
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I love teaching.
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My friend told me that the way they found out they were laid off is that they didn't have a stamp on their check. No letter, nothing. Also, she said they pinkslipped back to those hired in 2001. |
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| Vanna White | Jun 2 2009, 10:27 PM Post #4 |
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How horrible! I just checked the list and there are 3 teachers that my kids have had, one in particular that I would consider to be truely outstanding. What a shame that it has gotten this bad! We all know the economy may be the cause of some of the financial issues and that will likely get worse, but since I still personally know so many people that pulled their children out of LPS while remaining in Livonia and paying tuition in this bad economy, it is impossible for me to not blame a lot of this on the LI and Everyday Math...the final nail in the coffin. More and more people are giving up on the public schools and they are not leaving Livonia...they are simply chosing other options. The LI was like adding gasoline to a fire...accellerating the decline in enrollment and speeding the distict into financial hardship. As someone who has stuck it out because I believe in the idea of excellent public education for all, I find this very disheartening. Parents and teachers should have been working together to do what is in the best interest of our children, which in the long run is what will also save LPS jobs (not to mention it's just the right thing to do.) We could have banded together to try to stop the madness, but instead we fought against each other, apparently because there are a few that pushed a bit too far and were not "nice" about their opinions or maybe because the people that made these decisions seem like nice people. Instead of concerned parents we are labeled as "terrorists" by LPS leaders, when all we wanted was what was best for our kids and ultimately everyone. Now that we are coming up on the end of the 3rd year of the LI, smaller class sizes, neighborhood schools, community involvement, financial security, jobs...all are gone. So sad. |
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| Deleted User | Jun 2 2009, 10:47 PM Post #5 |
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Unfortunately many did not heed the warning signs, but instead listened to the rhetoric. It is fast becoming too late to do anything about the runaway train wreck LPS is becoming. I hope the end is just a means for a fresh new beginning. |
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| Vanna White | Jun 3 2009, 06:13 AM Post #6 |
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Here's the list: http://www.boardbook.org/apps/bbv2/temp/A5993C51-B488-4538-A6DBDE01EA35E174.pdf |
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| Whatever | Jun 3 2009, 07:12 AM Post #7 |
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2000 |
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| Ms. AK | Jun 3 2009, 08:20 AM Post #8 |
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I'm sorry to see this. But the district has been in serious decline for 3 years--why so much in just 1 year? Could it have been more gradual? I don't know. Does anyone know how the district makes its student loss projections? Is it based on parents saying their students are not returning next year? How is it figured out? |
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Krome on Cars | |
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| Whatever | Jun 3 2009, 09:36 AM Post #9 |
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"Early retirement incentives during the past three years allowed the district to call back more teachers than it probably otherwise could have, McDowell said. Approximately 100 teachers took early retirement during that period, she said." I'm guessing they can't afford anymore buyouts to save jobs. Edited by Whatever, Jun 3 2009, 09:37 AM.
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| Ms. AK | Jun 3 2009, 09:53 AM Post #10 |
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Thanks. |
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Krome on Cars | |
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| Momof4 | Jun 3 2009, 10:26 AM Post #11 |
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The page won't come up. |
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| LPS_MOM10 | Jun 3 2009, 10:29 AM Post #12 |
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The board expects to eliminate 25-30 teaching positions next school year ......... so much for the lovefest between dorothy chomicz, randy liepa, and the teachers union !!! what a laugh! |
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| LPS_MOM10 | Jun 3 2009, 10:35 AM Post #13 |
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I hope that Abbey's numbers are correct. It would be a shame to go through all this layoff stuff only to find, at the end of the year, that they didn't NEED to layoff all these people. That is the danger when you have an incompetent individual handling the numbers. There will be a lot of tears due to these layoffs. I hope they at least get it right or recall these people when they accidentally find the money! |
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| LPS_MOM10 | Jun 3 2009, 10:40 AM Post #14 |
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student loss projections: they contract a guy who retired 10 years ago to make the projections. I think they base it on cohort survival rates, if that makes any sense. It has something to do with live births in Livonia. They project these live births from kindergarten through high school. This guy has been off big time in the past. Most recent fiasco; the LI . |
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| Purple Haze | Jun 3 2009, 11:11 AM Post #15 |
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I recall one teacher, who is presently on the layoff list, laid off last year as well. She had ONE WEEK after her recall to duty to prepare and get her classroom in order. Not a happy camper, you think? |
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| Extra Olives | Jun 3 2009, 12:35 PM Post #16 |
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I always feel awful when I hear of people anywhere losing their jobs, but it sure hits home when you see names of people you know on the list. What a shame. |
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| Ms. AK | Jun 3 2009, 01:29 PM Post #17 |
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If former Chrysler Corp. CEO Lee Iacocca loses his company car and his supplemental executive pension--why can't admin.'s contracts be changed? Why aren't they showing the public and their employees that they, too, will take less? Are admin's contracts available to the public? http://www.detnews.com/article/20090603/AUTO01/906030351/Top-auto-figures-may-take-a-pension-hit/?imw=Y Top auto figures may take a pension hit David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau Washington -- The bankruptcy filings of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC will likely cost former and current top executives including Rick Wagoner, Robert Lutz and Lee Iacocca big money. Wagoner, fired by President Barack Obama more than two months ago as GM chairman and CEO, remains on the payroll. But it's not his $1 salary for 2009 that's in dispute. It's Wagoner's $22 million pension agreement, which now will be decided after the company emerges from bankruptcy. GM's board of directors and the auto task force have been reviewing the matter, but the board didn't take action before GM filed for bankruptcy Monday. The financial issue is the only snag that is keeping Wagoner on the payroll. The deposed GM boss, like a number of former senior execs, is likely to lose some of his pension. Chrysler cuts under way Chrysler is leaving some of its former executive pensions behind, in bankruptcy. But GM didn't follow suit. GM spokeswoman Julie Gibson said Tuesday the pensions for former execs -- known as supplemental employee retirement plans -- will be brought to the new company emerging from bankruptcy. GM said in a statement that "the amount of non-qualified pension for some executive retirees may be affected." Gibson said benefits won't be reduced until GM emerges from bankruptcy. Last Thursday, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli confirmed that former Chrysler Corp. CEO Lee Iacocca was losing a company car and his supplemental executive pension. Just how much wasn't made public, because Chrysler is privately held. Lutz, a legendary auto figure who is retiring as GM vice chairman this year, is a former president and CEO of Chrysler; he also worked at Ford Motor Co. and BMW AG. Reached by e-mail, Lutz confirmed that his Chrysler pension had been reduced, but he declined to elaborate. The firm sent letters to several former executives telling them to turn in their company vehicles. In a May 14 letter, Chrysler told former executives and directors with company-provided vehicles that they'd have to turn them in, or buy them at fair market value by May 31. "In light of the many contributions you have made to Chrysler over the years, we regret the need to take this difficult action," Chrysler wrote. Other former top execs at Chrysler also have lost supplemental pensions. Wagoner, 56, a 32-year veteran of GM, had a pension with total accrued benefits of $22.1 million as of Dec. 31. The pension is to be paid in five annual pension payments of $4,523,400, with the first monthly installment due upon his retirement. Wagoner could have collected about $900,000, if he had retired immediately. Wagoner also is owed a $68,900 annual pension that is likely to be honored by GM and the bankruptcy court. The $22 million owed Wagoner is in addition to about $535,000 in deferred compensation -- a portion of his income that he agreed to be paid at a date after which it was earned. Wagoner's deferred compensation account was worth $766,000 at the end of 2007 but has fallen along with GM's stock value. The deferred compensation could be lost in bankruptcy. Some executives sold off most or all of their GM stock in anticipation of the bankruptcy filings. It's unclear what, if anything, GM will make public about the payments since the company will be privately held after it clears bankruptcy. GM has dealt with other pension issues and faces a $20 billion shortfall, according to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. GM, using different accounting rules, estimates its shortfall at about $12 billion and says it expects to need to make $6 billion pension payments in 2013 and 2014 to make up the difference. Wagoner's compensation has totaled about $65 million since 2003, including $40.2 million over the past three years. GM noted that because the precipitous drop in the company's stock price, the stock and options the automaker awarded to Wagoner declined dramatically: For the $11.9 million in stock and options awarded to Wagoner in recent years, GM said the actual value as of Dec. 31 is $682,000. Wagoner became CEO in 2000 and added the title of chairman of the board in 2003. Bankruptcy already stings Bankruptcy already has stung Chrysler execs. About 1,200 Chrysler retirees who received large pensions under the company's Supplemental Employee Retirement Program got their checks cut off after the April 30 bankruptcy filing. They're lumped in with more than 100,000 other unsecured creditors to whom Chrysler owes money. The bankruptcy court will determine how much, if anything, they will receive. Chrysler also said in court papers it wouldn't honor "retiree benefits or severance arrangements provided under certain individual agreements, American Motor Co. employment agreements, retired officer benefit arrangements and retired board of director benefit arrangements." Chrysler purchased American Motor Co. in 1987. For some former senior execs, Chrysler said, there are "contractual retiree health care benefits that will nevertheless not be assumed by" the new company. |
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Krome on Cars | |
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| Vanna White | Jun 3 2009, 06:08 PM Post #18 |
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The link changed to http://www.boardbook.org/apps/bbv2/temp/A824B8F5-FFE4-B428-12407359DC8C98BE.pdf If it changes again, just go to LPS website, click on School Board, Agendas, Regular Meeting June 1, 2009 7:00pm Agenda Packet, scroll down to item VII E and click on the second link underneath that. |
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| LPS Reformer | Jun 3 2009, 08:44 PM Post #19 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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Interesting. Laura Scheel (Lynda's daughter-in-law) is on the list. |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| Deleted User | Jun 3 2009, 08:49 PM Post #20 |
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That's why she recused herself from the board table the other night. But she failed to do that when it was time to vote on hiring her or the vote to raise her pay. Kind of two faced isn't she? |
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