Bonus cuts disappoint educators
Guilford County schools might have fared better on state tests than last year, but teachers here and across the state won’t be seeing the bonuses they expected.
Although more schools locally and statewide met or exceeded expectations in the state ABCs testing program, the General Assembly didn’t provide enough money for full bonuses for teachers and other staffers.
Instead of receiving $1,500, as they have in previous years, teachers at schools that exceeded expectations will get $1,053 bonuses. For schools that met expectations, the amounts dropped from $750 to $527.
Teachers aren’t happy about that.
Mark Jewell, president of the Guilford County Association of Educators, said the move amounts to a breach of faith.
“We’re extremely disappointed,” he said. “The money had been promised.”
Particularly galling, he said, is the fact that because more schools did well, the amount per staffer dropped.
“It sends the wrong message,” he said.
Jewell said the principle was more important than the money, and that teachers work hard regardless of bonuses. Still, the drop wasn’t insignificant, he said, amounting to some 30 percent of the expected bonus.
School board member Anita Sharpe agreed with Jewell.
“I think the state needs to find the money,” she said. “They promised it; they need to pay it.”
The decision to cut the bonuses was technically made by the State Board of Education on Thursday, but it followed from a decision made earlier by the General Assembly to cap the amount available at $94 million.
State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee called the bonus cut unfortunate but said he understands that the state is in a financial crunch.
Guilford board Chairman Alan Duncan said it is very unlikely that the bonuses will be restored.
“I know it’s disappointing for many of our professional staff who work very hard,” he said. “I don’t think it’s likely to be revisited by the legislature.”
Although on the face of it, schools across Guilford and the state improved over the previous year, the results are not directly comparable.
Unlike in previous years, they were based only on math results for kindergarten through eighth graders, instead of math and reading. That decision resulted from a change in how reading skills are assessed, according to the state.
This year, 80 percent of Guilford schools either met or exceeded expectations, compared with 74 percent last year. The same figure for the state went from 72 percent to 82 percent.
The results do reflect dedication, Sharpe said.
“It reflects a lot of hard work by a lot of teachers in the classroom and a lot of hard work by a lot of students in the classroom,” she said.
The state also released graduation figures Thursday.
In Guilford County, the percentage of students who graduated within four years dropped very slightly, from 79.7 percent to 79.5 percent. Rockingham County saw a larger drop, from 70.3 percent to 65.8 percent.
Statewide, the figure increased from 69.5 percent to 69.9 percent.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Jason Hardin at 373-7021 or at jason.hardin@news-record.com
Schools' ABC designations
High Growth
Elementary schools: Alamance, Alderman, Allen Jay, Archer, Bluford, Claxton, Colfax, Cone, Erwin Montessori, Fairview, Florence, Foust, Gibsonville, General Greene, Guilford, Irving Park, Jamestown, Jefferson, Jones, Lindley, Madison, Millis Road, Monticello-Brown Summit, Morehead, Nathanael Greene, Northern Guilford, Pearce, Northwood, Oak Ridge, Oak View, Peck, Peeler Open, Pilot, Pleasant Garden, Reedy Fork, Rankin, Sedalia, Shadybrook, Southern, Southwest, Sternberger, Stokesdale, Summerfield, Sumner, Triangle Lake Montessori, Union Hill, Washington, Wharton and Wiley Accel/Enrichment
Middle schools: Allen, Aycock, Guilford, Jackson, Jamestown, Kernodle, Lincoln Academy, Northern Guilford, Northwest Guilford and Southwest Guilford
High schools: Middle College at NC A&T, Middle College at Bennett, Middle College at Greensboro College, GTCC Middle College at Greensboro, GTCC Middle College at High Point, GTCC Middle College at Jamestown and Penn-Griffin School for Arts
Expected Growth
Elementary schools: Bessemer, Brightwood, Brooks Global, Falkener, Frazier, Guilford Preparatory, Hampton, Hunter, Johnson Street, Joyner, Kirkman Park, McLeansville, Parkview Village, Sedgefield
Middle schools: Hairston, Kiser, Mendenhall, Murphey Traditional Academy, Northeast Guilford, Southeast Guilford and Southern
High schools: Dudley, Grimsley, High Point Central, Northern Guilford, Northwest Guilford, Smith and Weaver Education Center
Alternative schools: High School Ahead Academy
No Recognition
Elementary schools: Gillespie Park, Montlieu Avenue, Oak Hill and Vandalia.
Middle schools: Brown Summit Center, Eastern, Ferndale and Welborn
High schools: Andrews, Eastern Guilford, Early College at Guilford, High Point Central Academy, Northeast Guilford, Page, Ragsdale, Smith Academy, Southeast Guilford, Southern Guilford, Southwest Guilford and Western Guilford
Alternative schools: Scale School, Scale in High Point
No ABCs status
Gateway Education Center and McIver Special Education
Insufficient data
Guilford Newcomers Center
