March 25, 2008
Eleven Fired DCPS Workers Rehired by the District
When, in early March, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee handed 98 central office workers pink slips, the move was heralded as a step forward in cleaning out the District's bloated and inefficient public schools bureaucracy. But you know what they say -- one bureaucracy's loss is another one's gain.
D.C. Wire reported yesterday that of the 98 workers fired, 11 have already been put back on the city payroll, though in a different department. According to reports, 40 of the 98 workers came from DCPS's information technology department. Of those 40, 24 have been offered new jobs within the city government, and 11 have so far accepted. The kicker? Because the city is on a higher pay grade than the school system, they get raises ranging from $10,000 to $30,000.
"What may be a net savings to D.C. schools won't be a savings to the D.C. government," the former school system worker said. "The schools may say it may not come out of my budget, but it comes out of somebody's budget in the end."Neither Rhee not the District government has said much of anything about these workers. At the time of the firings, the Post quoted an anonymous school official as saying, "Terminations are intended to allow DCPS to discharge its administrative functions efficiently with the appropriate number of people and to address performance concerns." Since no school officials will comment on which employees were fired for what reasons, we are meant to assume that Rhee got rid of some workers who were bad at their jobs, as well as some workers who just weren't needed, but presumably were competent. Among that second group are many of the IT workers who the District has now hired back, because, as Barlow says, they're a "good bunch of folks."Greg Barlow, who headed the school system's technology department for two years before departing for Anne Arundel County schools in September, said he's not surprised about the job offers. "They are a good bunch of folks," Barlow said.
But is it possible Rhee actually got rid of the worst of the bunch, and for political reasons, the District decided to take some of them back? We'd certainly like to know more.
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Praise Jebus that the mashup photo of Rhee and Donald Trump is not posted on here.
Of course, there's at least a possibility that some of these fired workers were not only competent but also needed. I guess time will tell.
Second that, Cranky. Many's the night I've had to wish that away into the cornfield. I only hope they burned it with fire, never to return. But I'm sure they'll find some way of recycling it, either as a photgraphic negative or as some tasteful goatse montage.
the peter principle at its finest. thanks dc!
WTF?? You're fired! You're hired!
Hooray for getting rehired, but seriously. What were these positions? Why were they fired? Why were they rehired?
And for that matter, why are city's government employees paid on a different pay scale than the city's teachers?
drew: Not that teachers shouldn't be paid more, but these were apparently IT workers.
Well then let me rephrase. Why are there two different pay scales between the DC Government and the DC Public Schools if the DC Public Schools is run by DC Government?
IT workers in DCPS should be paid on the same scale as in DC Government.