Washington, D.C., job cuts will reduce school payroll by $6 million

Washington, D.C., officials say the firing of 98 employees from the school system headquarters will reduce the payroll by about $6 million. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee says the cuts would improve efficiency in the 49,600-student system and save money that could be invested in classrooms. But because severance pay is still being determined and some workers will be replaced, officials could not say how much money ultimately would be saved.
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EARLIER: Ninety-eight Washington, D.C., school system employees have been fired as part of Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's effort to establish a "culture of accountability" by sweeping out unproductive and unneeded workers at the central office. The move came about two months after the city council gave her authority to reclassify about 390 nonunion central office workers and fire them without cause. To read The Washington Post article, click here.

UPDATE: Washington, D.C., Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's decision to fire 98 central office employees is generating a debate among workers and questions from city council members about the fairness of the process. The firings affected numerous departments, including business operations, food service, budget and communications. But information technology appeared to be the hardest hit, losing about 40 of its 50 employees. Former workers in that unit said Rhee has decided that the functions will be absorbed by the city's IT department. Click here to read The Washington Post article.

FROM JANUARY 2008: The Washington, D.C., City Council has approved legislation granting Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee the authority to terminate nonunion employees. Rhee says she needs the authority to get rid of incompetent people much faster. The legislation will enable here to reclassify about 490 of the more than 700 people in the central office.
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EARLIER: Union leaders representing teachers, bus drivers, custodians, boiler plant workers, teachers' aides and other workers of the 14,000-employee Washington, D.C., public school system are speaking out in opposition to proposed legislation that would give Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee power to fire many central office employees. (Washington Post)

Washington, D.C., Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee is preparing plans to fire up to several hundred employees over the coming year, part of a major restructuring of the school system's central office aimed at streamlining operations. As the initial piece of her strategy, Rhee has begun drafting legislation that would ask the city council to suspend personnel laws and give her the authority to terminate employees without having to reassign them to other jobs. (Washington Post)