ideasfortps.com - Operational Savings

Change Teacher contract so teachers can collect unemployment during summer layoff.

LibsCanBlowMe — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:01:51 +0000

I always wondered, why does the contract the Teachers Union has not allow teachers to collect unemployment during their "summer layoff"?

Other Unions get to collect unemployment during their layoff periods. Why not the Teachers Union?

Here's the plan.
1) Base the Teachers Union Contract on the UAW contract to the extent that during layoff periods, a non-working teacher can collect unemployment.

10% Reduction Across The Board

allin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:19:46 +0000

It has been said that the budget crises will amount to 10% of the total budget. During the last 2 years many organizations across the nation have faced similar challenges, in fact most of them would have been ecstatic to only have been/be facing only a 10% cut. Many many business have cut costs across the board in the last few years, knowing that thery either took drastic steps or they would go out of business. So, TPS ought to immediately cut all salaries by 10%, and tell every department and building that their budget is cut by 10%.

Implement district school choice

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:57:03 +0000

If you remove district boundaries, schools would need to be much more efficient in their operation. Students would flock toward the good schools rather quickly, and bad schools would be forced to get better and become innovative. This competition will create efficiencies.

Outsource school maintenence

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:55:33 +0000

TPSInsider writes "An article in the Detroit News said Jackson Public Schools expects to save $193 per student per year by contracting out school maintenance.

See: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061124/OPINION01/611...

Try to resolve problems first by making a phone call not using a lawyer

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:54:02 +0000

In a similar vein like the be polite thread, if the district has a problem, they should first try to call or contact the person in question using staff to see if it can be resolved. They should not first hire a lawyer at taxpayer expense when something most likely could have been worked out in a conversation with staff member.

LED Exit Signs

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:52:27 +0000

Ask your custodian what types of light bulbs are used in corridors, classrooms and EXIT signs. Florida's Broward School District is saving $100,000 a year by replacing 40 watt light bulbs with three watt LED bulbs in its EXIT signs.

Source

Turn off computers

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:50:56 +0000

Turn off computers and lights when you leave school. A computer left on 24 hours a day wastes $224 a year in electricity. By shutting off their 60,000 computers at the end of the school day, students in Clark County School District in Nevada will save over $1 million in energy costs by year-end 2002.

Source

Use school facilities for meetings and banquets

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:48:21 +0000

Use school facilities for meetings and banquets
Posted on Thursday, November 16 @ 18:00:00 EST by chrismyers

Using free school district meeting rooms for teacher training and banquets instead of renting commercial space.

Source

Use more in house experts

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:41:36 +0000

Using "free" in-house experts for teacher training sessions instead of paying outside experts.

Source

VOIP for communications

chrismyers — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:40:28 +0000

Chicago Public Schools deploys citywide VoIP to cut costs, improve communication VoIP to lift $6-million Centrex weight off the city of broad shoulders, IT officials say. By Phil Hochmuth, NetworkWorld.com, 11/07/06 The Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third-largest school system, is starting a five-year VoIP rollout this month to improve communications among teachers and parents, while slashing millions of dollars in recurring telecom and maintenance expenses out of the school's budget, city IT officials say.Read the entire Network World article here.