Every now and then, the boss is inclined to take one for the team.
In the case of the Auburn School District, 35 principals and vice principals have agreed to sacrifice some of their pay in hopes of recapturing teachers lost to layoffs.
As more and more school districts try to compensate for cuts at the state level, some are turning to days off without pay to help balance their budgets.
Count Auburn in.
In response to hefty budget cuts that will hit the district hard next school year, the Auburn Association of Washington State Principals (AAWSP) recently decided to come together and do its part to help ease the monetary pain. Local school district officials face a $5.7 million shortfall predicated on $1.3 billion in state funding cuts for education.
While some school districts across the land have imposed mandatory furloughs on superintendents, principals and directors, the AAWSP voluntarily decided to take unpaid days off.
It’s a genuine sign that the schools’ leaders truly care about teachers, kids and education.
“We need to take our medicine, too,” said Greg Brown, principal at Dick Scobee Elementary School and AAWSP president. “And by taking our own medicine, we can save money and hopefully bring back some teachers.”
The amazing thing is that all 35 building-level administrators agreed to the proposal.
“It’s our feeling that everybody needs to be a part of the solution … everybody can donate,” said Bruce Phillips, Auburn Riverside High School principal. “This is kind of our gesture … and that through this process we can save a few jobs.”
Next school year, principals and assistant principals agreed to take a 1.5-percent salary cut via three furlough days. Such an action will save the district about $65,000-$70,000, Brown estimated.
In addition, Auburn principals agreed to roll over their collective contract another year rather than bargain for a new deal once the current one expires next month.
For now, it’s the right thing to do.
The AAWSP considered other options, but unanimously agreed that the voluntary furloughs were a good place to start in generating a concentrated push to reclaim some of the estimated 79 teacher layoffs.
It will be up to each principal and assistant principal when to take the days off. They will do so in coordination with their supervisors.
All agreed that it was the right thing to do in these trying times. The imposing cuts are deep and will be greatly felt with diminished programs and possibly larger classrooms.
“Everybody is trying to lessen the impact,” said Ryan Foster, principal at Lakeland Hills Elementary. “We’re trying to keep it as far away from the classroom as possible.
“It’s going to affect everybody,” he added. “We need to do our part to help out and get through the dark days. … It’s a matter of doing the right thing.”
The right thing might be hard to do in tough times. But when it means saving jobs, it becomes a noble sacrifice.
Some school districts in other states have resorted to taking extensive furloughs to close state budget gaps. Some have come at the hands of a governor’s order.
So far, this state hasn’t come to that, but then again Phillips has never seen such a budgetary plight in his 33 years of instruction.
While the state budget forecast is gloomy, Phillips and other Auburn school principals are optimistic things will rebound. Just when is anybody’s guess.
“I think the good times will be here in three years,” Phillips said. “But for now, it’s belt-tightening time for us.”
It’s also a subdued time for many principals who are trying to maintain in-house morale.
Good, young teachers soon will be out of work. Some will be recalled to fill gaps, others won’t.
“We need teachers in our building,” Brown said. “I need them here.
“It’s awful. The atmosphere is not good,” Brown added. “Everybody is doing their work and powering through, but you can just sense the sadness here.
“We’ll get back to normal, but it will take some time,” he continued. “We are going to work our tails off to make sure, in the meantime, the kids don’t see the impact of this.”
