Tempers are flaring in Gadsden County as the Gadsden County School District tries to sort out a hiring ad that gave teachers the false impression that they would receive up to $10,000 in stipends.
The Gadsden County Board of Education held a meeting Tuesday evening after members say they received calls from teachers in the district about not receiving money that was promised to them.
The issue stems from an ad posted on the district’s Facebook page on July 3, enticing both current and new educators to come teach in Gadsden County for a guaranteed stipend—starting at $5,000.
“It gave the perception that as long as made certain criteria, that they would get that incentive," School Board Chair Karema Dudley said.
Dudley said while the ad is legit, the district made a mistake in not informing the staff on the eligibility requirements.
According to the board, the stipends were intended to go to educators teaching at schools the district has deemed as under-performing.
Chair Dudley also said that the amount is "subject to change" based on how students perform. The Board members didn’t specify how and when the stipends are paid.
"The disclaimer should've been added to the post that went out to social media," said Dudley. "We have to take that accountability. People are going by what they see."
The Gadsden County School District started the retention and recruitment stipend program in July, and it’s already catching flak from the local teachers union, which is negotiating to get every teacher in Gadsden a $2,500 bonus.
The Gadsden County Classroom Teachers' Association interpreted the ad to mean teachers would get the stipend, in addition to the bonus. On Tuesday, Gadsden Superintendent of Schools Elijah Key rejected that idea.
“The union was trying to get $2500 for everybody who did not meet the requirement," Key said at the board's workshop. "We can’t afford to do that because we don’t even know if the funding is there.”
