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Highlands Today

Cox Recommends Cutting District Resource Teachers

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: March 25, 2009

SEBRING - More than half of the district office resource teaching positions are among the latest position cuts Supertendent Wally Cox is recommending to trim the budget.

Cutting five of the nine district resource positions would save $317,705 in annual salary and benefits, according to Cox.

Special Programs Outreach resource teacher Betty Ford-Smith was informed Monday that her position will be cut.

"I think it's very unfair that so many resource teachers have to leave the school board because they were helping the schools and no one is going to pick up the slack," Ford-Smith said Tuesday.

What is the district going to do without somebody running English for Speakers of Other Languages program, the art and music programs, social studies, foreign language and parent involvement? she asked.

"I'm a role model for the minority students in Highlands County," she said. "I am the only African-American up there at the county office in the curriculum department. So when they sit down at the table, there is no diversity in discussing anything."

Ford-Smith noted that the only other black person at the county office at the district level is Transportation Director David Solomon.

"There are programs for the ESOL families and migrant families, but there are no programs here for the African-American children and their families, and I was the only voice that they had that they could call."
Agricultural resource teacher Gary Lee, a 31-year veteran of the school district, was also told Monday his position would be cut at the end of the fiscal year.

As some of these positions are funded with federal money, Lee believes that Cox hopes to divert that money in other areas.

"The fact that my position is funded entirely out of federal funds, it really doesn't impact the local budget whatsoever," Lee said.

If the federal funds cannot be used in other areas, Lee would like to see Cox reverse the decision.

The other resource teaching positions Cox is recommending for elimination are health/PE, K-12 science and K-12 math.

Cox noted that three of the teachers hold a professional services contract and will be offered other teaching positions with the district.

School Board Member J. Ned Hancock said the school board has asked Cox to be as protective of the classroom teaching positions as possible.

Given the budget uncertainties and the depth of the state funding cuts, Cox has been doing everything possible to protect the district's resources so they could be allocated to the classroom, he said.

"Those are valuable positions. I don't want to minimize what those are, but if we've got to choose between classroom teachers or resource teachers or district office personnel, I think we are going to choose classroom teachers," Hancock said.

Also, Cox has recommended Ruth Heckman for the position of director of secondary programs to fill the position Katina Kramer will vacate at the end of year as she goes to Avon Park Middle School next year as principal.

That move would eliminate Heckman's current position as principal on special assignment though she would continue to be the administrator in charge of Advanced Academics.

Other district office positions put on hold recently include coordinator of purchasing and personnel recruiter.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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