DCPS Central Office Firings Confirmed !
Whether you were just a naysayer or someone who actually still works in the central office and doubted the validity of The Washington Teacher's weekend report, please be advised that DCPS has officially confirmed that the central office firings did take place as I reported. Please read Bill Turque's excerpt in the DC Schools Insider below. If you have read this blog more than once, you will note that my informant's have been quite accurate in their reporting of what's going on in terms of Rhee-form in our public schools. Often times what has been reported here has been the impetus for stories in the mainstream press like The Washington Post, DC Examiner and Washington City Paper. It is most unfortunate that we cannot rely on city government to be transparent about what is happening in the DC central administration offices What is good for the goose isn't good for the gander as they say.
Well now my inside sources are still telling me that the recent terminations were actually much higher than the eighteen confirmed by DCPS. Some say that the Rhee administration are expert liars. It wouldn't surprise me if the number of layoffs was not accurately reported especially in light of the controversy surrounding the November 2 layoffs. As I understand it, while most of the terminations were from the Office of Special Education, other staff were also terminated from the Medicaid division, finance office, records division and the resolution team. Stay tuned for further developments on this story.
I encourage you to recommend to any of the recently laid off DCPS employees to consider testifying at the upcoming March 15 City Council oversight hearing. Feel free to call Aretha Latta @ 202-724-8196 or email alatta@dccouncil.us to be placed on the list to testify. The hearing begins @ 10:am at the John Wilson Building located at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
New firings in central office
by Bill Turque, Washington Post writer
DCPS confirmed Candi Peterson's weekend reports in The Washington Teacher that 18 Office of Special Education (OSE) staffers were let go on Friday. No details yet on what jobs they held or what exactly drove the dismissals, although spending pressures seem to be in the mix. Spokeswoman Jennifer Calloway said Sunday evening that "in an effort to control costs and improve operations OSE made personnel decisions based on each of their department's overarching goals and initiatives."