“[An in-house] model will better promote safety and security in our schools…”

“[…] ineffective upper management and a lack of accountability […] primary reasons for not renewing the contract with GCA […].”

““Our principals are an afterthought for some custodians,” [the Director of Operations] said. “Because the chain of command is so far from [principals’] reach, they can’t get the things done that they need to in a timely manner.””

“[…] an in-house model will better reflect the values and priorities of the schools.”

“”[…] this model will better promote safety and security in our schools,” he said. “It’s one that is patterned after the traditional values that most of us grew up with, when we personally knew all the janitors who were in our schools.””

“”[…] I think the quality of the work will go up astronomically,” [the Director of Operations] said.”

Owens, A. (2014, April 23). New Beginnings Schools expect savings from shift to in-house janitorial services. The Lens. Retrieved from http://thelensnola.org/2014/04/23/new-beginnings-schools-expect-savings-from-shift-to-in-house-janitorial-services/

“…at least three prior instances of GCA employees […] accused of sex crimes or theft.”

“[…] a ceiling tile was loose above a girls’ restroom and the janitor was in the crawlspace, where he had no business being.”

“”It makes me feel sick that a little kid going to elementary school could be damaged for life, thinking that somebody is looking that way. It just robs them of their innocence,” said [a] parent…”

“Channel 4 News profiled the company when Metro contracted with GCA in 2010. We discovered at least three prior instances of GCA employees who were accused of sex crimes or theft.” (Emphasis added.)

Amons, N. (2014, Jan. 14). School janitor accused of hiding in crawlspace above girls’ restroom. WSMV. Retrieved from http://www.wsmv.com/story/24439125/school-janitor-accused-of-hiding-in-crawlspace-above-girls-restroom

“Schools log hundreds of custodial complaints: Outsourcing issues mount; janitor hands teacher a mop”

“[A] spreadsheet that lists all official complaints filed by school system employees against GCA Services Group custodians since last July, notes multiple instances in which exterior doors to school buildings were left unlocked overnight.”

“In addition to doors being left unlocked, custodians failing to report for work as scheduled and a general lack of attention to detail in cleaning, some of their concerns are related to specific incidents listed in the GCA complaint report, including:

• Sept. 16, custodians reportedly propped open exterior doors at L.C. Bird High so they could re-enter the building; they had yet to be provided keys.

• On Dec. 4, a set of master keys went missing at Providence Middle, and none of the custodians assigned to the school could account for the keys whereabouts.

• On Feb. 24, a service dog vomited inside a classroom at Manchester High, and a custodian reportedly stated it wasn’t his job to clean it up.

• On March 11, a custodian handed a mop and bucket to a Manchester High teacher after a student had an accident in the school’s severe disabilities area.”

“Excessive staff turnover and a lack of employee accountability have been cited as two of GCA’s major issues […].”

McConnell, J. (2015, May 6). Schools log hundreds of custodial complaints: Outsourcing issues mount; janitor hands teacher a mop. Chesterfield Observer. Retrieved from http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2015-05-06/Front_Page/Schools_log_hundreds_of_custodial_complaints.html

School district “may end contract with private custodial firm after slew of complaints”

“[…] school employees have complained about myriad problems such as dirty floors, dusty shelves and restrooms that lack toilet paper, towels and soap.”

“[A]n [outsourced] employee once left the door unlocked overnight to his lab, which contains expensive equipment.”

“There were times when I walked into a classroom and it looked like the floors hadn’t been swept in several days”

Martin, A. (2015, May 29). Volusia Schools may end contract with private custodial firm after slew of complaints. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved from http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20150529/NEWS/150529411

School district ends privatization and returns to hired custodial employees

“One example of this is Egg Harbor Township which, years back, voted to privatize their custodial services – only to end that privatization a year later and go back to hiring their own custodial employees. They incurred a huge expense in replacing equipment that was missing or damaged by the subcontracted custodians.”

Shore News Today. (2015, July 1). School union protests subcontracting Greater Egg lawn and cleaning services. Retrieved from http://www.shorenewstoday.com/galloway_township/school-union-protests-subcontracting-greater-egg-lawn-and-cleaning-services/article_71dcdd82-1ff0-11e5-9318-377641df5ba9.html

“School custodians rehired after privatization fails”

“Filthy floors. Unsanitary bathrooms. Strangers in the hallways. These were everyday conditions at schools in the Upper Freehold Regional School District in Allentown, N.J.. The culprit? Privatization”

[…]

“It wasn’t always like that. The district’s custodial services were once performed by UFREA members who were well-trained, lived and voted in the community, and enjoyed working with students.”

Rosales, J. (2010, Sept. 8). School custodians rehired after privatization fails. neaToday. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2010/09/08/school-custodians-rehired-after-privatization-fails/

“Privatized custodial services=filthy school”

“The $340 million privatization of the district’s custodial services has led to filthier buildings and fewer custodians, while forcing principals to take time away from instruction to make sure that their school is clean.”

Ravitch, D. (2014, Sept. 14). Chicago: Privatized custodial services=filthy school. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://dianeravitch.net/2014/09/14/chicago-privatized-custodial-servicesfilthy-schools/

“Privatization: Selling America to the Lowest Bidder”

“Several years ago the Bethel Park School District in Pennsylvania voted to contract with ServiceMaster, a $1.5 billion multinational corporation, to provide custodial services to city schools. The School Board took this step because it believed it would save money. […] By the time the ServiceMaster contract was up for renewal, Bethel Park had discovered the real costs of contracting out: dirty schools, destroyed equipment, and low morale among poorly-paid workers. The school district dropped the contract, having learned the hard way that contracting with a profit-making corporation raises costs while weakening public control over service delivery.” (p. 1)

“Cost savings are often illusory; quality of service declines; corruption takes root; the disadvantaged are further isolated; and in a most fundamental way, the very democratic nature of our public services is sacrificed to the marketplace.” (p. 2)

Hidden Costs of Privatizing
Administrative costs:

Cost overruns: Frequently a contractor will “low-ball” or underbid to receive a new contract, in anticipation of raising its rates once it has become established. (p. 3)

Contractors Pad Contracts to Ensure Profits: Contractors who submit artificially low bids to gain a contract often make up the difference by adding certain prerequisites to their contracts.

Negative Impact on Communities: Contracting with private companies is nothing more than shifting from workers and community members to big contractors. The local economy loses. (p. 4)

Quality of Service Declines

“[…] evidence from hundreds of communities that the quality of service suffers at the hands of contractors who hire inexperienced transient personnel at low wages, skimp on contract requirements, and provide inadequate supervision.” (p. 5)

“Public administration is essential to public services. It’s integral to our system of checks and balances. Whereas privatization relies on the motives of private gain, democracy depends on the capacity to assert collective interests over those of the few. […] It is through our public programs and services that we are bound together as a society, each citizen with a responsibility to others.” (p. 8)

Bilik, A. (1990) Privatization: Selling America to the Lowest Bidder, Labor Research Review, 1(15). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1143&context=lrr

School cleanliness after outsourcing jobs

“Employees from across the district have complained about cockroaches and trash left for several days, said Laura Cloer, the president of Volusia Educational Support Association. She said her administrators’ requests for Aramark to clean the campus more thoroughly haven’t been granted.”

Martin, A. (2014, June 2). After outsourcing jobs, Volusia reviews school cleanliness. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved from http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20140602/NEWS/140609917

“[GCA] placed workers with criminal backgrounds in schools”

“[…] company’s record of placing workers with criminal backgrounds in schools – including drug and sex offenders.”

““The employee had passed a background check because he used an alias, according to Bernie Decker, GCA vice president of human resources. Since that time, the company has implemented a number of security measure that “will go a long way” toward preventing that type of fraud from occurring again, Decker said.”

“The company now, by law, uses fingerprinting and Social Security number checks in establishing an individual’s identity, according to Decker. “You have to understand, we hire a lot of people,” he said. “I think a couple of incidents with 20,000 employees is a pretty good batting record.””

Switzer, L. (2010, June 6). Hiring issues in janitor service’s past: District to use Tennessee company, even though it placed workers with criminal backgrounds in schools. The Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/hiring-issues-in-janitor-service-s-past/article_39ed5c0a-c9d7-5462-b9bc-f5b7b4a8c16f.html