In his 10 a.m. e-mail, Sanderson noted that Gov. Sonny Perdue has called for the three additional days and that even though the legislature hasn't made any final decisions regarding the state budget, "the school district must act immediately to take advantage of available days and allow employees as much time as possible to prepare."
The superintendent announced the furlough days to the school board at its meeting on Thursday night. He recommended that the school system be shut down on Feb. 15, a date that students already have off for a teacher workday. For the other two days, teachers will have to forego their pay for the Jan. 8 snow day and the Sept. 22 flood day.
"I don't see these furlough days going away," Sanderson told the board Thursday night.
Year-round employees will also be furloughed for three days, including Feb. 15. Those employees' other two days off without pay have not been determined.
On Thursday night, board member Alison Bartlett, who teaches in Douglas County, asked when these furlough days will come out of the employees' paychecks.
Sanderson suggested that the pay be taken out from April, May and June paychecks - one day per each of these months, rather than a three-day deduction at one time.
He intends to present the board with a full proposal for vote on Feb. 10, but said he wanted to announce the furloughs Thursday night for the "sake of communications."
District spokesman Jay Dillon said that about 11,300 employees would be affected by the furlough days, more than 8,300 of whom are teachers.
Marietta City school teachers will also see a pay cut, Superintendent Emily Lembeck has announced.
In a letter sent on Wednesday to employees, she wrote, "I am recommending that we implement only two of the three state mandated furlough days this semester," but warned that if the budget situation worsens, another furlough day could come before the July.
Marietta teachers will take Feb. 17 off without pay, and will also be docked for Jan. 8, when schools were canceled. Lembeck said she will recommend that the district deduct the two furlough days in half-day increments over a four-month period from March to June.
Bus drivers and food service workers will lose only one day of pay, for Jan. 8. Lembeck will recommend splitting the pay deductions over the same four months, a quarter-day at a time.
The plan will go before the Marietta board of education on Feb. 5.
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If NO teacher signs her contract, what can the county do? I have a feeling the money to pay for our steps will appear. Even if Georgia is a "right to work state" they can't fire ALL of us, can they?
Also, as far as the flood and snow days are concerned; when were we going to make these days up before "furlough" came into the picture?
Times are tight for everyone, including teachers who often buy things that parents should be providing. Have you ever tried to teach a hungry child? Or one who is dressed in shorts and t-shirts in 20 degree weather? Or one who never has any school supplies? You have to meet the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and security before a child will even try to learn.
I can't begin to tell you how much I have spent merely feeding students breakfast and snacks this year. Or how many times I have anonymously added money to a student's lunch account so the child will be able to eat breakfast and lunch at school. Or how many have borrowed my "bathrobe coat" for the day just to stay warm. I automatically buy school supplies when they're on sale, so I'll have them for students in need. Guess what, I'm not a classroom teacher...but in the library.
Georgia needs a strong union for its teachers.