As Mecklenburg County commissioners prepare for tonight's budget vote, Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board Chairman Ericka Ellis-Stewart has emailed them a plan for a "three-way partnership" to provide 3 percent raises to CMS employees. She asks commissioners to go back to the plan County Manager Harry Jones presented, which boosts the CMS budget for 2012-13 by about $9 million without putting restrictions on the money. Commissioners voted informally but unanimously last week to approve the total sum Jones recommended but put about $18.5 million into a restricted fund that would be released only for raises.
This proposal can be a bit confusing, especially the reference to a $10 million decrease in the state discretionary cut. As careful readers may decipher, a decrease in a cut equates to an increase in the money CMS planned for when preparing its budget this spring. CMS and the county are waiting to see what state lawmakers approve for education spending.
It's unclear whether this proposal will cause a majority of commissioners to rethink the restricted fund. "I have read it twice and I am still not sure what she is driving at," said Commissioner Bill James, who has long pushed for restricting CMS money.
Here's the email:
From: Ericka Ellis-Stewart [mailto:ericka.ellis-stewart@cms.k12.nc.us]
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 10:42 AM
To: harold.cogdell@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov; jim.pendergraph@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov; jennifer.roberts@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov; karen.bentley@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov; vilma.leake@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov; george.dunlap@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov; dumontclarke@mvalaw.com; neil.cooksey@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov; Wjames@carolina.rr.com
Cc: Rhonda Lennon; Richard McElrath; Joyce Waddell; Tom Tate; Eric C. Davis; Amelia Stinson-Wesley; Tim Morgan; Mary T. McCray; Hugh E. Hattabaugh; Sheila W. Shirley; George E. Battle; LaTarzja N. Henry
Subject: Open Letter from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Dear Commissioners,
Over the past few years both of our Boards have had to face difficult, controversial issues. Both of us have had to make decisions we wish we had not had to make. The Board of Education respects your decisions, and we want to thank you for the support you have provided our public school students and staff during these financially challenging times.
Recently, many of us have had the opportunity to discuss with Commissioners our 2012-2013 budget request. We have heard a number of concerns such as, why are we looking to the County to fund raises that are a State responsibility, what are we doing ourselves to fund this increase if it is a high priority, how will we insure that our staff gets this pay increase? Reflecting on these conversations with you, our partners, we realize that we need to clarify our request. We consider our 2012-2013 budget request for additional funding to be a statement of our students’ needs to both the State and County. While by state law the Board of Education is required to make a formal request of the County, it is equally important to communicate that the funding for our students' needs could come from either of our two primary funders. And we have shared this statement of need with members of our State delegation.
More specifically, in providing a modest and well deserved 3% pay increase to our teachers and staff, as well as meeting our other needs, at this juncture we propose a three-way partnership to fund the budget. First, the Board of Education will provide at least $16.4mm through budget reductions already presented in our request. The second component could come from at least a $10mm decrease in the discretionary cut in our State funding, pending action by the Legislature. This assumes the state funding is ongoing, without restrictions that would prevent us from leveraging that funding into a local level salary increase. This funding is far from a certainty. The final component could come from an unrestricted increase in county funding similar to the County Manager’s recommendation in the amount of $9.1mm. This approach enables the State, County, and CMS to share as a team the opportunity to improve our system and allows each partner to support CMS teachers and staff. Should our own cuts plus any additional recurring funds from the State and County exceed what is necessary to provide the 3% increase, we will use those recurring funds in accordance with our budget request which includes adding teachers in our 9th grade classrooms.
Another advantage of this approach is that we are able to avoid further staff reductions resulting in elevated class sizes which negatively impacted our students’ education. This approach will help to restore to some degree the morale of our teachers and staff and with it, provide a better classroom experience for our students.
We would be glad to continue to meet with you and to answer any questions you have about our budget. Again we thank you for your partnership and for supporting CMS students in the past and in the future.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
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44 comments:
And this from a person who can not manage a travel budget.
Holy smokes! I've never seen so many run on sentences. Seems she has extreme difficulty in expressing herself, succinctly.
I wonder who put this in front of Ericka for her to send with her name on it? (Rhetorical question)
Cancel the streetcar to nowhere, and voila, there's the raise for the next 20 yrs.
As a former CMS employee,let me say this woman makes Vilma Leake like look a member of Mensa. From one week to the next, she manages to find yet another way to make herself look like a total buffoon. And the worst part, as board chair, she is actually driving the "clown car." And finally, to the BOCC I speak from deep experience when I say there is more than enough money to provide CMS teachers and employees a well deserved raise. But Erika will need to stay off plane when she doesn't have the money to pay for the ticket, the administration will have to stop throwing money at every gadget and program that comes along, and we will need to stop believing that throwing money at students who don't want to be educated will suddenly cause them to become educated. It's time for CMS to invest with purpose.
Is it any wonder CMS is a mess? Just attempt to read her memo.
Still have not heard clarification whether this "3%" is based on their state dictated, base salary or the County Stipend. If its only based on the Stipend, 3% trully looks like .0025%
I cant wait till the end of the year, when CMS claims they underspent X amount of dollars. But in reality its simply going to be due to the new pay schedule thats taking half of their August paychecks and carrying it over to June 2013. I'm sure they will claim victory this year and cry foul next year.
This is totally embarassing
Three percent? That's nothing.
I can hear my high school English teacher cringing in pain reading her email.
If the county trusted cms then there would be no issue. Hey Christine Mast, analyze this and let us know how they will screw us this time.
County, do not waver from your requirement of earmarking the money.
Commissioners to CMS. Quit lying and manipulating to us and to the public.
CMS to the Commissioners. We are sorry we have been lying to you. Peter Gorman was a tyrant and we allowed him to bully his staff and we were too intimidated and/of ignorant to reign him in.
Citizens to CMS Board and Commissioners. Put your egos aside and get out of the urinating contest. Meet and speak. Say you are sorry. Forgive. Rebuild trust CMS by being honest and transparent.
Teachers to CMS Board. Rewrite your budget to say that only persons on CMS staff who currently earn less than $100,000 and year and no CMS Board members can receive any raise. Now that would be true leadership and show how you really do appreciate your workers.
would love to see someone post the same message, but half the size :)
Ericka , The County leaders have been lied to consistently by CMS for decades. They are not LISTENING this time. I am sure the Lobbyist for LIFT wrote that letter for you and its super. On deaf ears as our County leaders are holding the BOE accountable as well they should. Go to the state with the lobbyist and demand another raise for teachers next year. Our teachers need it and the BOE needs to fight for it. A 2-3 % raise annually is really keeping in check with inflation. Help is on the way as a few BOE seats are open next year dont worry. Keith W. Hurley
3% and what? So a 10 year teacher is getting paid as a 5 year teacher currently and will only get 35..How about bringing all teachers current to their teaching years!! Pretty soon, if not brought current, you could literally have teachers who should be 15 year teachers never being currently paid as a 15 year teacher..3% doesn't bring them to what they should be paid currently!!!It's a joke.
WHAT THE BOE SHOULD HAVE SAID TO THE BOCC!
Dear Commissioners,
Thank you for the support you have always provided our public school students and staff . Unfortunately we have to ask for increased funding to provide a pay raise that is four years overdue and to take care of some much needed ……(BOE fill-in this blank).
We have no other place to turn. The Board of Education is making a one-time request of the BOCC that has never been used before. We propose a three-way partnership to fund the budget.
First, the Board of Education will provide at least $16.4mm through budget reductions already presented in our request.
The second component could come from at least a $10mm decrease in the discretionary cut in our State funding, pending action by the Legislature. This assumes the state funding is ongoing, without restrictions that would prevent us from leveraging that funding into a local level salary increase. This funding is far from a certainty.
The final component could come from an unrestricted increase in county funding similar to the County Manager’s recommendation in the amount of $9.1mm.
Should our own cuts plus any additional recurring funds from the State and County exceed what is necessary to provide the 3% increase and above noted items, we would like to keep the door to using them in CMS but will return to the county the excess if the Commission wishes.
This approach will help to restore to some degree, the morale of our teachers and staff. There is no doubt it will show-up in the classroom.
We would be glad to continue to meet with you and to answer any questions you have about our budget.
Again we thank you for your partnership and for supporting CMS students in the past and in the future.
Sincerely, what the BOE should have written.
Bolyn McClung
Pineville
The County should subtract from what they give to CMS the amount that CMS got through deceit last year. CMS and the school board are not to be trusted. Somebody needs to send them a message that it does not pay to be duplicitous....nor to use taxpayer money for a vacation across the pond.
Here is what the board should have written to the BOCC:
Dear Sirs and Madams:
Effective immediately, the BOE is submitting its mass resignation. We are sorry for the huge embarrassment each of us has caused the taxpayers of Mecklenburg by our dishonest, duplicitous and ignorant behavior. We trust that the taxpayers of Mecklenburg will be able to find candidates who are far more qualified that we to lead The Mess that Is CMS.
Sincerely,
Her Highness and her court.
Bolyn,
Move out of the County or keep your mouth shut. No one listens to a pompous word you spout. Go spend your time with your pompous friends Tim Morgan and Warren Cooksey. You fit right in with those two clowns.
BOCC, why don't you do the right thing and put restrictions on EVERY dollar that you provide to CMS. Tell those buffoons how to run the district, you sure as heck couldn't do any worse. Well, just make sure you put a muzzle on Vilma.
It's not clear to me who actually created this proposal. According to Peter St. Onge's post on O-pinion the entire board was in agreement on the proposal and the email's subject line says it is an open letter from the CMS board of education. Also the signature says "Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education". So who put this together? Did the entire board see it and approve it before it was sent?
3:57, Ericka put her name on it that the CO provided , BUT I seriously doubt the rest of the baord even communicates with Ericka outside of meetings. She is not a "chair" leader and this is a vendetta of hers and the NAACP ever since past BOE shut down the minorities schools. She is trying to funnel some of these funds to Project LIFT as its short funding already. we all see this loud and clear so dont be fooled. It matters not as the County leaders dont listen to her either.
It's much easier to be an editor than a writer. (Right Ann?)
This year, as in every past year, the BOE has to submit a budget to the BOCC without knowing how much CMS will get from the State. When CMS is informed by the State, then the BOCC gets that information too, at the exact same time. The BOCC has a lobbyist in Raleigh to help them determine what $$$ is coming to Char-Meck. The BOE doesn't' have a lobbyist.
Bolyn, Dont forget you supported Ms. Ericka last election. In that stand by her side as she crumbles. Then maybe KOJO will let you march when she is ousted from the chair of BOE. Once you take a side be loyal and stand by it (her in this case). You also endorsed LIFT so your name is on it as well. When it crashes down then your credibility needs to be questioned.
I have worked for this system for nearly 20 years and have believed since day 1 that it is inept and needs to be broken up. Project LIFT has shown us the blueprint for how to do it, let's start the process!!!
4:11 , As I have stated for years CMS used to have a lobbyist. About 2.5 years ago they got ride of this position as they did not see the value. Resulting in shrinking budgets and no voice in Raleigh they put the money in a $500k PR department. See how that has gone ! CMS has needed a Lobbyist in Raleigh since the day the got rid of the last one. Even project LIFT has employed a Lobbyist at the state level to push their half baked ideas. Give them credit they are making a push and have a Lobbyist at least. Keith W. Hurley
TO ANON 4:33,
1. Yes, supported Ericka. That's not working out the way I hoped. There is a hurdle she can't seem to manage. Unfortunately that was the first one she faced and it has her and the board stalled.
2. L.I.F.T---With the exception of that recent move into Leadership training, I'm still hopeful and at the same time cautious.
L.I.F.T has six targets. I've yet to see the baseline for those. That's a disappointment. In order to continue to support it, there must be measurements.
Bolyn McClung
Pineville
OMG! I really hope Ericka didn't graduate from CMS. This email is the worst email ever written. I, as a CMS employee, am embarrased by the email's gross structure and grammar! This is one time she should have left the writing to the PR department-oh, I forgot-there's nobody left in that department!
Oh. My. Word.
I spent all day at my child's school, having fun at his end of year activities. I am only now getting back to the Observer this evening, and WOW.
I have so many words, but want to summarize my thoughts.
I'll be back (after I see if I can watch the BOCC restrict more of CMS's funds for next year).
Bolyn 6:14, it did not take a rocket scientist to see this is what was coming with Ericka and Mary getting elected.
Bill Stevens
TO: BILL STEVENS
About the grouping of Ericka and Mary. Since I've been watching school boards, I've yet to be able to fit any two members in the same pod.
Common examples that weren't: Vilma & George; Kaye & Larry. Within each of those sets were similar goals but very different approaches.
Molly and Kit worked well but it would take an extraordinary person to match Molly.
So back to Mary and Ericka. Two very different women.
Bolyn McClung
Pineville
Bill, Bolyn will never admit to what is correct unless he comes up with it. His history shows his ignorance so dont waste your time with him. He LOVES LIFT and is ENAMORED with Ericka for some reason. Just a Bozo from Pineville who needs a hobby.
Perhaps what Bill meant, and what was obvious to many of us, was that with Ericka and Mary elected, Tom, Richard, and Joyce would be forming a majority with them. Which, of course, they did. Thus we immediately had the district six appointment fiasco. And We've since had examples of poor behavior on the part of Joyce and Richard, with the board chair refusing to admonish them. In addition we've all witnessed Ericka's arrogant behavior and attitude towards those who do not agree with her.
How sad that our new "leaders" preferred to take the political route rather than the statesmen route as they took over the board. I suspect there are many successful African Americans in this community who are very uncomfortable with the style of "leadership" exhibited by Ericka (not to mention the antics of Richard and Joyce).
Anon @ 1:17pm,
The 3% proposed raises are based on the total State & County base salaries (per the spreadsheet I requested from Sheila Shirley, CFO).
This includes giving 3% raises to every member of the Board of Education and the Superintendent.
Christine, I wonder if any of the school board would be brave enough to refuse their raise like Larry Gauvraeu did?
Bolyn, credibility is a sticky matter in today's press. The CO will turn on you in a heartbeat. But as long as we the taxpayers are denied our right to insist on accountability, promises are kept, and results from the extra spending, there will be much angst in this community. Until we all move out like happened in Detroit and other large cities, accept that we will continue to protest and push against the system. The elitists think they can stay in power pandering to this subculture. They do not realize this group is flexing its muscle ready to turn on them like a pet pit bull. It almost happened 2 years ago. Luckily a state investigation suppressed them a bit. Step back out of the groupthink and koolaid.
There is so much wrong with this email...
1) Sending this kind of communication on the DAY of the BOCC's vote is presumptuous and insulting. Where was Ms. Ellis-Stewart all weekend and yesterday?
2) This is one of the most poorly-worded letters I have ever read. There are so many extraneous words that make it difficult to understand...
3) Did Ms. Ellis-Stewart contact the other 8 BOE members and get their consent/agreement, prior to sending this to the BOCC?
4) "Another advantage of this approach is that we are able to avoid further staff reductions ..."
Why is she writing about staff reductions in any context?
5) I am too tired to even TRY to understand what her point was... I've read it 5 times and still don't have a clue...
6) BUT NONE OF THE ABOVE MATTERS NOW. The BOCC just voted to approve the County Manager's Budget, including the $18.5 million in restricted funds for CMS.
CMS, welcome to your new world -- it's called "Accountability."
Do you miss Kaye, Sleepy Coach Joe, and Trent yet? Wait until the retirements and other fleeing staff members vacate for good next week. Sorry Heath, Erika's handwriting is on the wall and totally incomprehensible. Let the LIFT wars begin.
How about bringing back my dental, vision and the bonus money that was promised but never paid. I would be more that happy to accept the 3%($150) raise then. Thank you to all that see how shifty the BOE and state really are.
Bolyn, here is the bottom line. And you can line up any of present and past BOE members you want to. Is CMS a social services delivery system or is it a public education system? It can not be both. It does not work. They (social services and public education) are competing values. Their goals are diametrically opposed.
What teachers wish they could say to the BOE, BOCC and the other state politicians:
Dear (fill in the blank),
Take your job and do with it what you will. We're tired of the bickering, the teacher bashing, the lying, the blaming and game playing. We quit and are going to another school system that values the people who love your students and who spend almost every day with them.
Ericka, How did that plan work out for you last night with BOCC? I thought so now GIVE the teachers their raise. Keith W. Hurley
Ericka E hyphen S is an embarrasment to Charlotte. One word:
R E C A L L election.
And if the rest of CMS BOE agrees with her "letter" they all should be recalled.
Cut the PR Dept by 80%, eliminate the 5 area supt and CMS BOE could have given raies any time they wanted to.
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