DODEA: Teachers could face furloughs if defense cuts take effect

[txradioguy]

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The Department of Defense Education Activity has developed a contingency plan that would place teachers at military base schools on involuntary, unpaid leave if Congress is unable to reach a deal by March 1 to avert deep defense spending cuts.

The plan would furlough teachers and school support staff for 22 discontinuous work days — no more than two per two-week pay period — during the current school year, according to a Jan. 31 memo signed by DODEA Director Marilee Fitzgerald.

“Our planning does not assume that this unfortunate event will occur, only that we must be ready,” Fitzgerald stated. “We will plan to furlough school-level personnel without risking a full-year of academic credit for our students.”

The plan resulted from mandatory Defense Department guidance and is due no later than Feb. 8, according to the memo.

The Pentagon is bracing for $55 billion in 2013 budget cuts and roughly $500 billion in reductions through 2021, scheduled to take effect March 1. The generally unwanted sequestration cuts — to both defense and non-defense discretionary programs — were designed in 2011 to force Congress to agree on targeted budget cuts.

Because Congress failed to do so, the Pentagon is reviewing plans to furlough civilian workers worldwide, with narrow exceptions for those in combat zones, some public safety officials and others exempted by law.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama urged Congress to pass a stopgap measure that would postpone sequestration, which earlier was delayed from its original Jan. 1 date.

DODEA officials in Washington declined to discuss further details of their furlough plan Tuesday, due to the uncertain nature of the budgetary situation.

“Our first priority is to mitigate the negative impacts that sequestration will have on our ability to provide quality educational services,” DODEA spokesman Frank O’Gara said in a statement provided to Stars and Stripes. “No decisions have been made at this point.”

Exactly how classes without furloughed teachers would function if sequestration happens is still being determined, sources familiar with those plans said.

Federal Education Association President Michael Priser said DODEA officials were considering doubling up classrooms, among other possibilities.

Priser added that the FEA, a union representing teachers at base schools, would lobby to exempt teachers from furloughs if sequestration takes effect.

“Obviously it impacts teachers and employees, and it would also have a serious negative impact on our … kids’ educations,” Priser said.

DODEA already has cut spending on training, travel and conferences, according to official statements. It also suspended a teacher transfer program and an administrator rotation system.

http://www.stripes.com/news/dodea-teachers-could-face-furloughs-if-defense-cuts-take-effect-1.206872

[Undies]

Oh well.  Whatever it takes. 

[Zeus]

 $1.2 trillion over 10 years, half from domestic (discretionary) programs, half from defense.


It's all scare tactics people.  actually amounts to no costs at all just a decrease in the rate of increased spending.

[txradioguy]

DoD is already taking money out of the operational accounts for their major commands.

As it stands right now USAREUR will run out of money by May.

The GW will be the only carrier able to deploy on short notice. if something happens anywhere int he world.

As Crazy Horse said in another thread...planes aren't heading to Depot for repairs...they are sitting on the ramp broke.

The longer this goes on...I'm having a hard time NOT believing this isn't being done on purpose at the highest level.

[jtyangel]

Yeah sorry to tell you but it's not scare tactics. I'm seeing the same things as txrdgy.

[Zeus]

Yeah sorry to tell you but it's not scare tactics. I'm seeing the same things as txrdgy.

yea military beancounters don't play politics.

Do the math 500 million in "cuts" over 10 yrs is a decrease of 50 million/yr in increases.

Everyone is all for cutting govt costs just don't cut mine ok. 

[txradioguy]

yea military beancounters don't play politics.

Do the math 500 million in "cuts" over 10 yrs is a decrease of 50 million/yr in increases.

Everyone is all for cutting govt costs just don't cut mine ok. 

You need to replace the "M" with a "B".

USAREUR alone had 460 million taken without warning from it's accounts already.

They are cutting 500 BILLION from the budget if sequestration goes through.  Not 500 million.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/12/pentagon-begins-planning-for-500b-in-fiscal-cliff-cuts/

[Zeus]

You need to replace the "M" with a "B".

USAREUR alone had 460 million taken without warning from it's accounts already.

They are cutting 500 BILLION from the budget if sequestration goes through.  Not 500 million.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/12/pentagon-begins-planning-for-500b-in-fiscal-cliff-cuts/

yes, it's billion not million, over 10 yrs.  So to believe it's an actual cut not a decrease in increased spending you have to believe there will be no budget increases for a decade.

[txradioguy]

yes, it's billion not million, over 10 yrs.  So to believe it's an actual cut not a decrease in increased spending you have to believe there will be no budget increases for a decade.

To the military?  Yes I very much believe that.  It's been Obama's plan all along to break the will and spirit of our armed forces.  The cuts from the other places?  No I don't believe Santa Clause will deny his voting base their free shit.

What I find surprisingly naive on your part...is this belief that Obama won't let this happen.  That he doesn't want it to happen and that we'll run right tup to the brink and kick the can down the road for another few months.

I understand the concept of how baseline budgeting in D.C. works.  But I also understand Obama's feeling towards the military and what he thinks needs to be done to us.

I'm living that reality right now.

[rich_t]

I think that Zeus is pointing out the whole "base line" budgeting thing.

[Zeus]

I think that Zeus is pointing out the whole "base line" budgeting thing.

It's not just the baseline budget. No one wants their budget/budget projections cut so they are coming up with worse case , it'll all go to hell in a handbasket scenarios to bolster preserving their piece of the pie.

I'm personally not in favor of the military being the brunt of half the cuts but it was the Presidents proposal agreed to upon by congress now force the President to submitt a budget that will pass congress.

[J P Sousa]

Yet the administration's wet dream of green energy in the military is full speed ahead;

  U.S. military spending on renewable energy programs, including conservation measures, will reach almost $1.8 billion in 2025 

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/28/total-capacity-of-us-department-of-defense-renewab/

[DumbAss Tanker]

Yet the administration's wet dream of green energy in the military is full speed ahead;

That's kind of my problem with it...it appears the DoD plan is to keep insane policy-driven dollar wasters that make the Navy buy $400+ per gallon bio-Diesel produced from algae, extend costly dependent benefits to gays and lesbos for their significant critters, and continue with contracts to build things that are might be of questionable utility given the already-programmed shrinking of the force, but cut stuff that hurts our own DoD people so as to piss off as many of them as possible.