Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 23, 1991 TAG: 9102230254
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By NEAL THOMPSON EDUCATION WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The department has shrunk from 531 workers six months ago to 433, said Ned Carr, assistant superintendent for human resources. Thirty-five clerical workers, 25 administrators, 23 part-timers and 15 contract workers have been laid off.
The last day for all laid-off workers is March 8.
The department's regional offices in Roanoke, Radford, Abingdon, Staunton and Appomattox will close on that day.
I.W. Baughman, supervisor for marketing education in Roanoke's regional office, plans to retire.
"It's sort of sad over here," the 31-year veteran said Friday. "All these years you've done all these things and all of a sudden they say it's not important."
Baughman said he feels fortunate to have been so close to retirement; he had planned to retire in July. But his co-workers weren't so lucky. Three were in Richmond on Friday interviewing for new department jobs.
Regional offices have been replaced by 10 "field representatives" who will work as department liaisons to school divisions in 10 regions around the state.
The reorganization has been the pet project of Joseph Spagnolo Jr., superintendent for public instruction appointed by Gov. Douglas Wilder in July to shape up what was seen as a heavily bureaucratic and ineffective department.
Spagnolo had planned to complete the revamping by Jan. 1. But legislators who complained that was too soon were proved to be right when Spagnolo had to push his deadline back to Feb. 1 and then again to Tuesday. Even that wasn't enough, because it took until Friday to notify all those who had lost their jobs.
Another part of the reorganization was to abolish 220 positions and replace them with newly created positions with different titles and new responsibilities. Those positions also were to be filled by this week's deadline, but 26 were still vacant Friday, Carr said.
About 80 percent of those positions were filled by department employees, but 20 percent were hired from school divisions or from other states, Carr said.
Baughman said it was unfair to take jobs from those who had worked for the department for 20 or more years and give them to outsiders. He said he expects those who were laid off will file grievances.
Carr said the department realizes that now is not a good time for the laid-off workers to be looking for jobs; and because it's mid-school year, "this is the worst time."
The department plans to help by providing free counseling sessions over the next few months on job hunting, interviewing, unemployment compensation, retirement and financial management, Carr said.
Spagnolo has said the layoffs were necessary because the department had become top-heavy with administrators and wasn't effectively serving schools.
It could take months before the new department is in full swing, said Debbie Ellison, administrative staff assistant. "I think it's going to be sort of gradual process."
Desks and office dividers were being shuffled this week as new people filled the new positions at the department's 25-floor building on 14th Street in Richmond, Ellison said.
by CNB