Health & Fitness
The Alexandrian: Morton Sherman Moves To Fatten Central Staff Office
Parents should be asking why is more money being funneled to the central office and less to the front line folks who work with our kids.
Old Town Alexandria Patch reports that Dr. Sherman is adding to his already big central office staff.
In last year's budget, Dr. Sherman proposed reducing staff at some of the schools by more than 50 percent including intersession, occupational and physical therapy staff and adult education. He also proposed further reducing Technology Integration staff. In an electronic age, is that prudent?
On top of Dr. Sherman's $250K salary, plus a $40,000 a year tax sheltered annuity payment he receives and monthly medical insurance premiums (free health care) as well as monthly VRS (retirement) payments, we the taxpayers of Alexandria are footing the bill to lease Dr. Sherman a vehicle to drive. In addition, many of Dr. Sherman's central office staff make nearly as much as our congressional representatives.
As Gina Miller, Education Association of Alexandria (EAA) president, wrote last year:
One place in the budget that has seen no cuts, but rather a growing budget, is Central Office. The salaries, benefits, and bonuses of which Mrs. Gorsuch has been made aware are staggering, considering this staff does not work with children. Why, in a time where we “can’t afford” to pay people who work with children, is this school division growing its Central Office? These six figure salaries come at the expense of ACPS staff and children. I implore you to look again at this budget and to come up with a better plan.
Parents should be asking why is more money being funneled to the central office and less to the front line folks who work with our kids.
This approach of increasing central staff rather than teaching our kids has led to 14 of Alexandria's 19 schools being on an improvement plan, have accreditation with warning, or having been denied accreditation (Jefferson-Houston). T.C. Williams SAT scores have continued to decline as well.
Parents should be demanding the new School Board hold Dr. Sherman accountable as our kids deserve better. Fattening the central office does not help our kids.
Read more of The Alexandrian at this link.
