Trying+times+force+Steel+Valley+board+to+furlough+40+teachers

=By Stacy Lee = =//Published in the McKeesport Daily News//= =//5/25/11//= = = = = =Steel Valley teachers stood up in unity as they listened to the names of the 40 district teachers being furloughed. The school board voted 8-1 Tuesday night for the layoffs in front of a large crowd in the high school auditorium. They go into effect June 30. = =Board vice president Kimberly Kubancsek was the lone dissenter and there was an eruption of applause after her vote. "This is probably the hardest thing I've had to do in not only my eight years on school board, but my entire life," board president Beth Cannon said. = ="This hits home. My oldest child is 18. So I've been in every single building at one point because I have four (children). This is horrible. These people are like my family. The board is committed to educating our kids and offering them everything we can possibly offer them." = =She said if the board has to make adjustments to ensure the buildings are safe and the children's education doesn't suffer in the next school year, it will. = =Cannon noted it's not over until the final state budget is approved in June. = =Steel Valley superintendent Dr. William Kinavey said these staff cuts are the worst thing he has had to go through in his career in education. = ="None of us are happy," he said. "This board and I have committed to help save this district. We have to make big time decisions. The board in Steel Valley has always been kind to the professionals. We've had low class sizes. We just have to make some changes. It's trying times." = =Teachers furloughed are Amy Gusky, Maureen Revetta, Julie Miller, Shari Koroly-Fetzko, Ed Tozzi, Jaime Fleck, Jonathan Edwards, Jeff Deabner, Matthew Simpson, Patrick Connelly, Carole Policastro, Richard Pireaux, Kelly Sabo, Ryan Dunmire, Cara Hritz, Bridget Ellis, Michael Hofbauer, Lori Oleksak, Scott Manns, Catherine Pisula, Jennifer Pecora, Amanda Linder, Bobbi Vargo, Jill Fleming-Salopek, Deirdre Kamauf, Carrie Cope, Jessica Andzelik, Erin Noblet, Christina Szott, Mary Ellen Totin, Jamie Polak, Heather Huber, Jonette Bost, Brandi Chalus, Emilee Garcia, Marguerite Luvara, Cindy Levick, Mark Fallon, Rebecca Russell, Beth Catterall and Dawn Kunca-Kapolka. = =While Claire Stitzell and Beth Catterall were listed as furloughs, their full-time teaching positions are being reduced to part-time. = =School Director Thomas Olson abstained from Sabo's furlough and Cannon abstained from Gusky's furlough. = =The district has checkerboard realignment so teacher layoffs were based on seniority and certification. = =Last month, the board voted to eliminate 40.5 teaching positions and 15.5 district support personnel positions, which included secretaries, paraprofessionals, aides and security guards. = =A total of 16 actual people were furloughed in the past month as a result of the 15.5 cuts of the district support personnel positions. A list of those individuals was not available. = =The district administrative position of grant and special programs coordinator was eliminated last month, as well. That person, Ellen Sabo, will be moved into a district secretary position. = =Based on the state budget as originally proposed, Steel Valley was set to face $2.4 million in cuts. Steel Valley teacher Steven Singer, who has not been furloughed, said the district would get at least $500,000 in additional funds if a revision in state Gov. Tom Corbett's original budget is passed. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"It's very disappointing that they couldn't reduce that number of 40.5 and reinstall some positions," Singer said. "I hope they will consider that as time goes on." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He said he was hired a month before many of the furloughed teachers. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"These are people who get grants and create programs," Singer said. "They go above and beyond every single day for the students of this community." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I was born in St. Louis, Missouri. It's called 'The Show-Me State.' Until they show me the money, I don't believe anything," Kinavey said. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Our upper administration did no evaluation for what the course schedules would be like for next year class size or anything," Fleming-Salopek said. "It's like they rolled the dice and put these together." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She said some classes could have been condensed. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"They are checking IEPs (individualized education programs) as of right now for aide support, but they cut the paraprofessionals at the last meeting," Noblet said. "That's another example of how they have not assessed student need before cutting any positions." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Some special education students have IEPs that require an aide. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ed Colebank, district director of academics, information and technology, said the schedules couldn't be made because it was unknown which teachers would be eliminated and in which subjects. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Until there was actually a plan in place to give a concrete direction of the staff in general, that's when we can do the scheduling," he said. "We didn't want to put information out there of what we would offer or not offer, and that wasn't going to be true." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In March, six paraprofessionals and six custodians were furloughed. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The school's security staff has been reduced from 12 to two in the past couple months, as well. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With the cuts, Steel Valley will have 112 teachers, down from 160. Kinavey said seven retired teachers will not be replaced. He said the teacher furloughs are expected to save the district $2.5 million per year and all district furloughs would save more than $3 million. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There are no paraprofessionals left in the district. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As far as the teacher cuts causing an increase in class size, Kinavey said most classrooms will increase by three to six students. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Read more: __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #003399; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">[|'Trying times' force Steel Valley board to furlough 40 teachers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review] __ __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #003399; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">[] __ =

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