Troy Board Decreases Teachers, At Least For Now

The Troy school board voted to slightly reduce current staffing levels for next year, saving $75,000. But that is not the whole story.

Superintendent Don White asked the board to monitor some classes that are on the bubble. He said these need more data before he recommends further action.

During his presentation to the board, White said that he will monitor classes with 22 to 25 students from kindergarten to third grade. In the fourth and sixth grades, he will monitor classrooms that have 25 to 28 students. For the seventh and eighth grades, he will monitor classrooms that have 29 to 32 students.

"The items on the Monitor Plan will be brought back to the Board should there be any need to fill any of the positions," White said in a memo to the board.

He said he will be able to report back to the board about some of the recommendations after the advance registration is complete. He will most likely ask the board for additional staffing in stages. After the Kindergarten registration is complete, he will again request more staffing if needed.

"This is the fourth year of me doing this so the board is getting used to the process," White explained.

The estimated costs for all the sections being monitored is $275,000, resulting in at least five additional full-time educators.  The complete plan is available online by clicking here.

Teachers By-Invitation-Only Job Fair

White explained that they are receiving as many as 800 applications for a single teaching position. Even the more difficult subjects to fill, such as special education, math or science, have had plenty of applicants. 

The district will be hosting a job fair April 8 by invitation only. This will help cull candidates prior to the formal interview.

This way, the district will be able to judge professionalism, appearance, dress and behavior, according to Assistant Superintendent for Educational Achievement Anne Gmazel.

Additional Assessment

As one more layer to the hiring process, the district has decided to adopt a pilot assessment program. The company performing the assessments, Wunderlich, has a prestigeous clientele, including the NFL, and is just starting to work with schools.

The assessment will include basic skills, math, reading, Microsoft Word and Excel. These tests will be based on the Department of Labor job descriptions.

The purpose of this is to help with situations where they have two very equal candidates, White said. These assessments would not be defining the decision-making, but informing, he explained.