| Author |
Message |
    
cody
Citizen
Username: Cody
Post Number: 501
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 - 6:33 pm: |     |
When I went to Tuscan School today, I found the walks cleared and the parking lot accessible and clear - given the amount of snow and the small number of custodial employees, I think they deserve a big "Thank You"!
Our district is planning on getting rid of about 30 custodial positions and replacing District employees with "outsourced" personnel. I remember when this was tried back in the late 80s or early 90s and it didn't work then. Work wasn't done, employees found things missing, there wasn't a sense of ownership. I heard that some of the personnel brought in at that time had criminal records, although I can't confirm that for a fact.
I spoke to one of the Tuscan custodians today and he said he'd gotten up at 4 a.m. to get to school in time to get everything cleared and accessible by 7 a.m. I wonder if an "outsourced" company would have that much commitment to doing a good job. I doubt it and hate to see dedicated employees being terminated for such a reason.
I wasn't at any other school today, but if you were and your school was in good shape, please thank your custodians - especially now that their futures are uncertain.
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William Ralph Gifford III
Citizen
Username: Williamgif
Post Number: 3
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 - 7:17 pm: | |
Hello, my name is William Gifford. I am a senior at Columbia High School and I am running for the Board Of Education. As another year passes, Columbia High School seems to be falling apart quicker and quicker. Our public education needs more support and more funding. More than ever we need our community to support the public schools.
As a student in Columbia, I am very knowledgeable of the problems that our schools face. Everyday I walk the hallways and I hear the hardships of the janitors who have to pay for there own supplies and I see the students who hesitate to read aloud in class, because sadly they can’t. I see the low level classes filled with black students and I see the high level classes filled with white students. We need to make changes!
First we must admit that Columbia High School is not the school it was years ago. Right now the district is trying to maintain educational excellence, when we really need to be making changes so that we can achieve it. For years Columbia has been known for its variety of choices for students: now elective classes are being cut by the dozen. We need to restore the privilege of choice to the students of our district.
As a candidate for the Board of Education, I want to work harder on closing the achievement gap in the district. Not enough is being done to solve this problem. Also, I want to restore Maplewood and South Orange’s reputation for having excellent public schools. To do this we will need greater support from the larger community so that the needs of our schools are adequately funded.
If elected I promise to work hard on the issues and gain the support of a community so all children are given the chance to succeed. On APRIL 20th VOTE WILLIAM GIFFORD FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Yours,
William Gifford
If you have any questions please contact me at Qsociety@hotmail.com
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jacman
Citizen
Username: Jacman
Post Number: 176
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 - 11:59 pm: | |
After winter break, several teachers at CHS came back to their classrooms and found dead mice in traps in their rooms. An "outsourced" extermination company had set the traps, but never came back to collect the dead mice! This is the kind of thing we can expect from outsourcing. I wonder how much this company was paid... |
talk-it-up
Citizen
Username: Talkitup
Post Number: 9
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 11:41 pm: | |
I do NOT support OUTSOURCING CUSTODIANS/Maintenance.
One primary issue is the safety of my children. The people that work within the schools should be familiar faces and those faces should have detailed background checks.
Another reason is outsourcing never fosters dedication or ownership of one's job. The employee needs to feel the commitment of the employer. One needs to take ownership of their job and be responsible for it. If you are there one day and gone the next then what does it really matter, so you may not have to live with what you do if you leave it behind for someoneelse to pick up.
Maintain control of the schools and the people that have access to our children and their surroundings.
Thanks |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 1691
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 12:11 pm: | |
Talk-it-up, I have to agree with you 100%. School custodians have access to every room in the building. They must be people who care about and are accountable to the immediate school community. They are sometimes the only people a child makes a connection with. This can be terrific or it can be a serious problem. I recently had a custodian back me up in the face of an out of control and threatening adolescent. I was grateful that he knew enough about the children I work with to know that security needed to be called. Had he not felt connected to both the staff and students he might have assumed it was not his business to intervene. NO OUTSOURCING OF CUSTODIAL STAFF, PLEASE!
Cathy |
cjc
Citizen
Username: Cjc
Post Number: 1190
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 1:21 pm: | |
I say we should try outsourcing, and if we can get a comparable or better service at a lower cost, we ought to try it. In doing so, we can direct more dollars to instruction of our kids if it's done well. That's the goal, isn't it? |
jacman
Citizen
Username: Jacman
Post Number: 179
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 7:33 pm: | |
"I say we should try outsourcing, and if we can get a comparable or better service at a lower cost, we ought to try it. In doing so, we can direct more dollars to instruction of our kids if it's done well. That's the goal, isn't it?"
This district tried outsourcing custodians about eight or nine years ago and it was a complete disaster. Not only was the workmanship shoddy with no one accountable, but theft was rife. The television arts studio was robbed of over $90,000 worth of equipment. Today we have even more expensive technology in the building. And security issues are even more important now. This is a very bad idea. |
cjc
Citizen
Username: Cjc
Post Number: 1201
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 12:29 pm: | |
Just because it failed once doesn't mean it can't be done correctly. If there was no one accountable last time, then make someone accountable this time. |
Cato Nova
Citizen
Username: Cato_nova
Post Number: 116
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 2:58 pm: | |
It astonishes me that government entities are constantly being ripped off in a way that private entities are not. While part of that is due to the fact that, by and large, people in the public sector are simply not as smart as those in the private sector, part of it is also due to the lack of oversight in contract drafting. Problem with theft? Simple solution: insert contractual indemnification provisions. Put in requirements regarding rotation of personnel. Put in measurable standards, with monetary holdbacks if they are not met. Just because the average staffer is a moron doesn't mean that we should let those who are supposed to be exercising contractual oversight over them get away with incompetence. |
Tom Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 2632
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 4:57 pm: | |
Sometimes, it doesn't matter which model you use. Both are viable. The better one for you is the one you know. The schools know how to manage its employees better than its contractors. This makes using employees a better deal overall.
Lucent tried to sell its manufacturing and outsource the job. It was good on paper, because it worked for the competition. Lucent didn't know how to manage a relationship with external suppliers, so it failed.
The idea that it would work if it were only "done right" assumes that learning how to "do it right" is free and instantaneous. |
peteglider
Citizen
Username: Peteglider
Post Number: 510
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 2, 2004 - 4:04 pm: | |
Seems absurb in a school setting, where the custodians literally have the keys to the place.
At Walmart, even my office building, the cleaning service is outsourced -- but at the same time there are salaried employees of the company supervising 24 x 7.
Doesn't seem feasible in our schools. If you have to put someone on payroll to oversee -- at multiple locations, seems a risky challenge.
Better to outsource IT, accounting, etc. (IMO)
Pete |
Chris Prenovost
Citizen
Username: Chris_prenovost
Post Number: 41
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 2, 2004 - 4:43 pm: | |
Agree with you 100%, PeteGlider.
I am in favor of outsourcing in principle, but to do it with the custodians seems unwise. Especially since it has been tried before. As you say, better to do it in other areas.
Such as the other 250+ non-teaching positions in the board of education's bureaucracy. |
cjc
Citizen
Username: Cjc
Post Number: 1267
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 7, 2004 - 7:39 pm: | |
On second thought, if it failed once, it will always fail. I'm sure no one can find a situation where outsourcing of custodians has been done successfully. Never mind. M/SO couldn't handle it if it tried. It's not like we're pressed for cash around here.
Where's that New Jersey can-do attitude, people??! (New Jersey has one, doesn't it?) |
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