4-16-2001

Dear Harry,

I am the parent involvement coordinator for XXXXXXXX School. I was recently informed that this position may be eliminated, not because it is not valued but because of the money situation.
I need to make sure that you realize that we are only paid $5.50 per hour for 14 hours of work per week, with a majority of us putting in more hours. we do not get sick leave, we do not receive benefits of any kind and we coordinate the thousands of parent volunteer hours that are donated every week in the schools in Duluth. WE ARE THE BEST BARGIN IN THE DULUTH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I realize that the hope is that people will volunteer to coordinate the programs that we presently are in charge of. I can promise you that parents are too busy to take on this job. They will donate their time here and there, but their lives are too busy with jobs and their children's schedules to do more. It is so important to have someone willing to coordinate all of the valued programs that parents donate their hours to execute.
I was also informed that the budget for the program would be kept but my question is 'Who would execute the bugdet?'
This is a wonderful position that benefits our schools at every level. Please look at the low cost of running this program and what the schools gain as a result of what the coordinators are able to do. Basicallly, we are paid minimun wage to find free help!
Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Sincerely,

S

My reply

S,

I don't disagree with anything you've said. When I looked at the administration's proposed cuts I noticed the parental involvement coordinators listed right away. I don't know what to do. The Board refused to make one of the easiest cuts of all by going to a six hour day. Now the Administration has to find cuts somewhere and all of the cuts its proposing are painful. For instance, I don't think the AD's can operate on a half time basis. 

I'm starting to get letters from support personnel who are about to lose their jobs. Teachers are against increasing class sizes. The Board is not ready to close any schools. Under these circumstances I'm not inclined to question the cuts that the administration is presenting us with. All of them are bad. I feel pretty helpless.

Harry