Florida Department of Education completes round of layoffs

In response to the state's tight finances, the Florida Department of Education today finished notifying 48 employees that they're out of work. The layoffs are expected to save $2 million in salaries.

Another 15 unfilled, frozen positions were removed from the department's employee base as well. Those jobs carried another $1.6 million in salaries.

The biggest hit comes in the technology division, which lost 28 positions, 14 of them filled. Next was the finance division, which lost 10 positions and 21 people. Other areas losing employees include graphics, printing and financial aid.

"These reductions were made with the sole focus of preserving the core services we provide to students, parents, teachers and other Department customers and should in no way be a reflection of the professionalism and quality work of the employees impacted by this decision," DOE spokeswoman Kelsey Lehtomaa said. "The Department is offering job placement assistance and able to provide recommendation letters to these individuals in an effort to help them quickly locate new employment opportunities."

Read on for a breakout of the deleted positions.

POSITION DELETION BREAK OUT BY DIVISION:

6  positions / 4  people  -  Commissioner’s Office

10  positions / 21  people  -  Finance & Ops (including OSFA)

9  positions / 4  people  -  ARM

5  positions / 0  people  -  Public Schools

2  positions / 2  people  - Community Colleges

3  positions / 3  people  -  Workforce Education

28  positions / 14  people  -  Technology

63   positions /  48   people -   Total

Comments

[terminator]

back in the classroom:
nothing personal. I worked there for a few years too.
yes there are always some good hardworking people but c'mon, I saw folks who began with Turlington and stayed through five or six successive commissioners!
the place smelled old and moldy and some staffers looked as if they would have been more appropriate working in a haunted mansion (complete with worker sitting in chair surrounded by cobwebs).

We could easily do without most of what DOE provides. The local districts would be responsible for carrying out these duties.

The Florida Constitution gives the districts 99% of the power anyway.

[Back in the Classroom]

Termie - I typically admire your comments, but to say "close the whole building" truly diminishes your credibility. So -- No teacher certification? No pervert patrol? No assessment? No standards? The list goes on. I worked at DOE for many years and the regular staff members there truly care about providing services to districts and doing a good job. Yes, I am completely amazed at how many of Jeb's folks are still there. And from what I hear the climate at DOE has not changed and the current leadership still promotes a culture of fear.

[Jamie sanford]

Yep. Eliminate support services that total more than ten million in savings for the department. Meanwhile the evil dr. Smith can cost the state more in outsourcing, while laughing all the way to the bank with his $275,000 a year salary. Hahaha.

[terminator]

get serious folks
you could shut down the whole building and no one would even know (nor care).
schools are local. there is no need for DOE to even exist.
bet they didn't replace any of the deadwood that's been hibernating at 325 Gaines for the last thirty something years.
probably just low level staffers making poverty level wages.
and how bout all the old Jebster patronage employees stinking up the legacy office?