County teacher loses appeal for job
A veteran educator of the Jackson County School System has lost his appeal to keep a job for another year with the district.
Rex Wallace — who has been teaching for 31 years — was the district’s lone student achievement technology specialist when he was laid off in April.
Wallace’s job was one of 44 teaching and non-teaching positions that the Jackson County Board of Education approved in April for its Reduction in Force (RIF) plan for the 2010-2011 school year.
Wallace’s position had been created when the school system received federal stimulus money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.
He previously taught social studies and computer science at Jackson County Comprehensive High School, where he had worked since 1993. But when the district learned it wouldn’t be receiving federal stimulus money for the 2010-2011 school year, the board cut Wallace’s position and didn’t renew his annual contract, according to officials.
He, in turn, requested a personnel hearing with the board over his non-renewed contract. That public hearing was held on Wednesday, June 30.
For more details on this story, see this week's issue of The Jackson Herald or the e-edition.
Wallace’s job was one of 44 teaching and non-teaching positions that the Jackson County Board of Education approved in April for its Reduction in Force (RIF) plan for the 2010-2011 school year.
Wallace’s position had been created when the school system received federal stimulus money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.
He previously taught social studies and computer science at Jackson County Comprehensive High School, where he had worked since 1993. But when the district learned it wouldn’t be receiving federal stimulus money for the 2010-2011 school year, the board cut Wallace’s position and didn’t renew his annual contract, according to officials.
He, in turn, requested a personnel hearing with the board over his non-renewed contract. That public hearing was held on Wednesday, June 30.
For more details on this story, see this week's issue of The Jackson Herald or the e-edition.
Defined tags for this entry: County BOE
A "student achievement technology specialist" - as the position is clearly referred to in the article - is not a teaching position; therefore your argument is flawed.
Mr. Wallace was a social science/economics/history teacher (he was on the right side of B hall for those who have actually attended the school). His recent movement into "student achievement technology specialist" was an attempt by the school district to help this guy make it to retirement.
Why, then, move someone who spent more years teaching social sciences than I've been alive? This is the real question, and the question that "staff writer" does not know about.
For a number of reasons (which anyone who works in JCCHS is intimately familiar with), Wallace proved incapable of teaching in a classroom. The position they moved him into was also referred to as a "data entry specialist." He was basically typing meaningless information into a computer all day....at a cost to my taxpaying pocket of initially $70,000 and then later much higher per year. Ask the BOE about Wallace's contribution to the school district in his most recent position, and I guarantee that no one will be available for comment.
I challenge Jackson County to remove the politics and garbage out of school. We are here to give our kids a bright future, and you are killing it through nepotism and favoritism.
What is above, Anon, is the real story behind this situation. Whatever basketball coach you're referring to was also required to teach in a classroom, and they contributed to the school. Rex Wallace did not.
On the other hand, I'm not sure what your little academic blessings told you, but some of the teachers I didn't particularly care for in high school turned out to be right. Turns out I was the problem, not them. 'magine that one!
Having said that, the BOE reversed a decision based on a couple of basketball parents who whined, so maybe they'll listen to you as well.
What I'm wondering is how tenure and age discrimination are going to factor into this. Hope the BOE isn't exposing the county taxpayers to expensive legal action...
It is a sad day when Jackson County Schools loses one of the best social studies teachers they have. I had many classes with Mr. Wallace as my teacher and I would even go so far as to call him a mentor.
Thank you Dr. Wallace for creating a passion for learning and teaching within me. I am a better teacher today because I had you on my side.
People are criticizing Jackson County Schools, but look in the paper this week. Read the CRCT scores, then compare those that were published in the Barrow paper a couple weeks ago. Jackson county is doing much better than Barrow in those test scores. We have had our ups and downs, our BOE has done a wonderful job at making tough decisions in the last two years. If it was such an easy job, why don't all you people who are 'anonymously criticizing' sign up to serve???
As far as Dr. Wallace goes, he should have been let go. He was the type of teacher who humiliated a student into making them learn rather than inspiring them to learn. Our students don't need that type of teacher. They deserve much better than that.
A quote from you: "If it was such an easy job, why don't all you people who are 'anonymously criticizing' sign up to serve???"
Let's address that. What are the point of elected officials? In theory, they exist to do our bidding.
What's the point of a Board of Education? It's a group of people we choose to provide our children the highest degree of education possible.
If you prefer, here it is, straight from the horse's mouth:
"The Mission of the Jackson County School System is to insure learning opportunities by providing quality facilities, personnel, programs, and materials. Our goal is to produce self reliant and contributing citizens."
http://www.jackson.k12.ga.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128&Itemid=1
So, we have this body designed with the purpose in mind of giving us the best education possible, and you suggest that we keep silent or do it ourselves? What is the point of our elected and appointed officials if they can't be subjected to public opinion and review.
Kathy Wilbanks and company are fully capable of doing their jobs. As public officials, they stand in full view of the county and should be accountable and responsive to each citizen's criticism. So I say bring on the criticism, critical review, and public opinion. These things are what hone our institutions until they shine. In full faith of the BOE's ability to do its job, then, I will loudly criticize any action that fails to uphold the BOE's mission statement, including retaining individuals that suck money from our pockets for minimal tangible return.
That, Danny, is why I as a citizen will never stop criticizing the institutions that serve me. I give them my dollars and I expect them to squeeze every penny out to provide for our future. Excuse me for being verbose, but as a taxpaying citizen, each of us has the right to criticize our government. So, what logical reason did you have for suggesting that us citizens remain silent?
As you so eloquently quoted, it is the BOE's job to provide 'quality facilities, PERSONNEL, programs and materials'.
None of them are running on the platform to be your best friend, your mama or anything else. They are running to do what is best for ALL the children in ALL the schools that they represent. It is this fact that I am referring to. So, when YOU, as a mighty taxpayer, want to be so very verbose, you need to remember that there are lots more where you come from and not all of you have the same opinion. Are one of you more important than the other? Which one should have more value? GEEWHIZ! What should they do?????
All the information I have received regarding Mr. Wallace's recent classroom performance and then his role as a "student achievement technology specialist" means that, in my opinion, Rex Wallace should have been removed.
However, the RIF was crafted and worded as an age-restrictive policy. According to the legislation, age-restrictive RIFs are not allowed. My opinion, then, is that Wallace should have been removed, but the legal justification for removing him was inappropriate. Jackson County BOE should have removed him for a lack of productivity and unsafe classroom environment.
I never asked for a best friend or a mama from my elected officials. I asked for people who will execute their office to the best of their ability.
Your deflection about public opinion does not apply, but I will address it. I value each citizen's opinion, as I clearly described in my previous post. I value each person's public opinion and whatever means they use to express it. I value my own, and I value yours, and I value every other citizen's.
When I mentioned that criticism is a valuable tool and that I would never stop criticizing my elected officials, I never suggested that my opinion is the only one that matters. I also never suggested that criticism must be negative. My purpose in bringing up criticism was that it was the lens with which our elected officials can use to examine themselves. Without EACH person's opinion, then, that lens is useless. I hope that I have been clear.
Bearing that in mind, and with full respect to others' opinions, I issue this challenge to the BOE: I want your best. I want to see our children given the best education that you can give them, and then I want to see it done twice as good the next year.