This is simply not true.
Ensuring our schools are staffed appropriately and efficiently and that all academic and extracurricular programs remain in place, the Clear Creek Independent School District has established sound procedures when it comes to what is known as “excessing” staff. Here is how it works:
Campus staffing is based on enrollment numbers at each campus and revolves around the following formula:
22 students per 1 teacher in grades K-4
25 students per 1 teacher in grade 5
150 students per 1 teacher in grades 6-12
Historically and preferably, Clear Creek ISD has generally staffed campuses with an excess number of teachers, allowing for smaller classroom sizes, abundant elective courses, and many extracurricular programs. However, the State budget has forced CCISD and other school districts to tighten staffing ratios. In doing so, the District had to excess teachers and coaches to meet those staffing ratios. Not to mention, we have had a lot of movement of staff with the opening of Clear Falls High School and Bayside Intermediate.
The number one priority is to maintain the core offerings for students. The Board approved regulations (DK Regulation) to determine who is eligible to be placed on the excess list:
Excerpt from DK Regulation
“Excess” teachers are to be identified by current grade level (elementary) or department (secondary) based on the following criteria:
- Appropriate certification and NCLB Requirements.
- Seniority in the District.
- Seniority in the school.
- Total creditable experience.
- Performance
Exceptions include:
- Extracurricular head sponsors receiving a stipend.
- Head coaches.
- Athletic coordinators.
- Teachers who were placed on the excess list for the previous two years.
- Teachers whose performance is less than proficient, on an intervention plan, or in receipt of notification of potential contract non-renewal or termination.
- Additional exceptions/variations to this regulation must be approved by the superintendent.
While head sponsors fall under “exceptions”, assistant coaches do not. Over the course of several months, the District has ‘excessed’ many coaches based on tenure. These coaches just like other teachers were placed on other campuses. Only after those coaches were placed, principals were allowed to hire from outside the school district. In other words, there should not have been any situation where there was a teacher/coach on the excess list that was passed up for an outside hire.
This is not a process that we take lightly and realize that behind every move there is hardship on the part of teachers, students and campus staff. Believe it or not, we have situations today where there are vacant coaching positions but no teaching openings, leaving some of our high schools without adequate athletic staff for programs.