The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees approved a reduction in force (RIF) as a way to deal with its financial emergency. Last year, the District overspent the budget by nearly $64 million. The District is on par to have a budget shortfall of nearly $84 million unless we take immediate action to reduce expenditures. Thus, the majority of the cost reductions will be in employee payroll.
This will have a tremendous impact on our dedicated Dallas ISD employees. Administrators have implemented a plan that will reduce staff expenditures in such a way that it will have the least impact on classroom instruction, yet still maintain a high level of educational delivery for our students.
Approximately 250 positions at the central office level have been eliminated. Nearly 40 assistant principals and 10 counselors will be released. We were planning to eliminate nearly 550 teacher positions. We will now reduce about 465 teacher positions. Nearly 200 teachers chose to either retire or resign from the District, accepting a settlement offer, and saving other teachers’ positions. If teachers and other contract employees accept the settlement offer, agreeing not to appeal their RIF, they will be paid through the 2008 fall semester, January 16, 2009, including benefits. Non-contract employees who accept the settlement offer, agreeing not to file grievances on their RIF, will be paid through October 31, 2008, including benefits.
Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas and the Dallas Regional Chamber will sponsor a job fair on October 21, 2008, at the Dallas Convention Center, Ballroom C, from 10:00 – 3:00 pm. On-site interviews with school and business recruiters will be available. I wish our employee good luck as they seek employment with other school districts, and other businesses.
If you were selected for the RIF, I want to hear from you. Tell me your story. Speak up, and speak out.
My employemnt with the district was one big mistake after another. I am with another district and so much happier. Please, try at all cost to move to a better location. DISD has no integrity or professionalism. You would be better off somewhere else. After the Rif, I was shocked, but I feel it was a blessing from God. The peace and satisfaction that I have is more than I could imagine.
I was turned down to go to the job fair…I guess the district can just continue to pay my unemployement!!!
Sorry to hear you were excluded from the job fair. I got calls from others who were released last summer, and were not allow to attend. I was told by the administration that the job fair was only for the employees who were part of the recent RIF. It seems to me that any former employee of the Dallas ISD should have been given a chance to attend.
Do others have any thoughts on this?
Dr. Blackburn,
I am sure you know by now that the district has posted job openings on their website. Well my job is posted on that website. I was an Art teacher at an elementary school. Why was I RIF’ed only for them to be looking for someone else to replace me now. I moved all the way from Memphis, TN to work for this district and after only a month and a half, I was RIF’ed. I am absolutely furious that I was treated this way and it is an slap in the face to have my job posted only a week after I was layed off.
I have asked Dr. Hinojosa to offer the vacant positions to teachers who were RIF’d before offering them to others. I suggested they call the teachers who qualify for the positions to let them know of the vacancies. I suggest you contact the HD office to get additional information. Let me know the response.
Thanks for your willingness to continue serving the Dallas ISD.
There are a lot of good teachers that were let go. However, they are not being called back. They are being looked over for the new positions. Many have done applications and called repeatedly. They are being told no. What can they do???????
Mr. Blackburn,She was called and asked not to come to the meeting to speak, by two different people from HD. This was done on the day of the meeting. They asked, “What can we do to keep you from speaking.” She told them, “Treat employees right.” This scared her, but she was sure that she went on. It made her very nrevous. She spoke, and after the meeting was completely over, the harassment began. She was threatened, had her were feet stomped on, and pushed by security, AND LITERALLY CHASED TO HER CAR WHILE MACE WAS BEING POINTED AT HER. I was terrified, as a witness. Others saw this, and know that she had done nothing wrong. Is calling her at home a violation of her rights? Is approaching her for no reason totally uncalled for? ISN’T IT TIME THAT SOMEONE STAND UP AND SAY, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!” I believe that you have a good heart. Will you see that there is a full investigation into this. There was a written report turned in by one witness.This is typical DISD BEHAVIOR. (THUGGISHNESS, LIES, STEALING,ROBBING THE PUBLIC, and TOTAL DECEPTION) When will it end? Will things ever change? Or will it be business as usual??Thank you,