European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 31, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes monday. October 31.1988 education news Gao report faults Dodds Pacific by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington initial findings from a congressional investigation show that one out of seven Stu dents in the military s overseas school system in the Pacific Region graduated in 1988 without meeting minimum requirements. The general accounting office the watchdog Agency for Congress also found that teacher qualification Fik s often were incomplete. Investigators found 37 percent of the teachers lacked official transcripts 46 percent lacked evidence Hal their teaching experience and eligibility had been evaluated and none showed the required professional references. The findings also matched complaints hat the department of defense dependents schools system does not give parental concerns proper attention and Resolution. The initial findings released by William j. Gainer a Gao associate director were based on visits to 19 schools in the Philippines and Okinawa. A Oao team is to review schools in West Germany this week according to a Germany Region spokesman. Dodds program specialist Nick fico said the school system is reserving comment until the investigation is Complete. He said he wants to Sec if the euro Pean results agree with the Early  the Gao report was requested by rep. Beverly Byron d-md., after her mouse armed services Man Power subcommittee heard complaints about the school system during a visit to Okinawa late last year a review of 200 students who graduated from the two philippine High schools in 198s showed that 906in seven of these graduates failed to meet the mini mum graduation requirements gainer said in an interim report to Byron. The schools permitted seven students to substitute English As a second language and compensatory education courses for the required courses the schools also a permitted three students to Grad uate by granting full credit for partially completed courses because the principals believed graduation was in the Best interest of these students. We plan to review the rationale Tor these  while Many teacher qualification tiles were incomplete gainer said the information May have been available at the time teachers were hired. But he also said that 24 percent of teacher appraisals reviewed by his staff did not show evidence of a midyear Progress review As required by the Dodds Pacific Region. The investigators met with parents and teachers whore members of school advisory committees established by Dodds. They heard complaints that school administrators have not always satisfactorily responded to Parent and teacher concern. Thus these parents and teachers believe that although the committees can raise issues these issues Are often not re solved to their satisfaction gainer said the Gao also found problems with Dodds build Ings ranging from safety hazards to inadequate class room space. Out of the 19 schools visited pro Temi were found in it Byron whose subcommittee held a hearing on Dodds in october plans a second hearing after the Gao completes its study in the Spring. Wiesbaden teacher frustrated by 11 month old pay foul up b dark Walczak education writer Wiesbaden. West Germany by Norih the reports forms and recommendations that have come to characterize the overseas teacher pay system Are the Lee Virtues teachers Wuh longstanding pay problems whose Only Reward for patience is frustration. My problem began last december actually november virtue said. And right now i honestly Don t know what else i can  the Wiesbaden Middle school English teacher has plenty of company within the department of defense de Pendents schools system. According to figures compiled by Ger Many Region school officials hundreds of teachers and other school system employees still arc wailing for the 266th theater finance Center to review pay records and Correct months old pay problems. There arc a number of outstanding pay inquiries from last year a usar eur spokeswoman said. And it s just impossible to get to them All when you Don t have he staff to do  virtue s nearly year old pay ordeal began As she reared the end other pregnancy. Planning to spend time with the baby she applied for advanced leave which was granted by school officials. But instead of advanced leave the finance Center put her on a leave without pay status for two week sin december 1987. The foul up resulted in a loss of at least$1,200 for virtue just when she and her husband were counting on the Money to meet expenses brought on by the birth of their first child Benjamin in october 19b7, i did have to go into my  she said. It was christmastime and i was counting on full paychecks that i did t get. But at least i did t Nave to dance outside the pm with a tin cup in my  now nearly a year later she is no closer to collecting the Money. It s just so frustrating she said. You re told not to Call you re told tout everything in writing. I followed exactly what i was supposed to  she was told to file a pay inquiry. Vir tue filed it Jan. 6. We never heard  she said. I did receive a card from the finance Center that said we be received your inquiry,1" she filled out another inquiry March 8. "1 received another card that said we be received your inquiry that was  another pay inquiry followed in a gust at the Start of the 1988-89 school your. That one also went unanswered. A finance official said thursday that payroll officials have uncovered two of the inquiries but gave no Date when Vir tue s Case would be resolved. Out Cente director col. Jerry heard has said that he expects the entire backlog of pay complaints to be resolved before dec. I. Virtue a five year Veteran of the Dodds system has been partially victimized by the finance Center s priority system for handling pay complaints. Since her situation involves leave it has been Given the lowest priority. Teachers who receive no pay arc Given highest priority. A source close to the defense depart ment inspector general s office which coordinated an  into finance Cen Ter operations said virtue s situation May have been shoved to the Bottom of the stack because of the dumber of leave forms she submitted before going on leave. Still according to the finance Center s own guidelines even the lowest priority complaints Are supposed to take no longer than three pay periods to resolve virtue combined accrued sick leave All purpose leave and advanced leave for a Bix week stint away fro m Ibe classroom. In addition two holidays veterans Dayan thanksgiving fell within her proposed leave. Maybe because my situation b unusual someone has just pulled my file and said of forget it 1can t figure this out virtue said the pay inquiry system Calls for teacher with pay problems to use the school s Point of Contact with the finance Center to workout pay problems. But school Secretary Brenda Brainy said Hal it can take Day just to get a Call through to the Center in addition those answering the phones can Only review pay documents to ensure they re in order. Changes i payroll such As virtue s would require Are done through a separate finance Cen Ter department which docs not Deal i rec Liy with the Public. Heard said last week that he has asked for More phone lines to be placed in the Center. He added that a special task Force of 10 people is working specifically on the backlog of pay inquiries. Also the Bas l Eimm unto Wiesbaden teacher Lee virtue Center plans to hire additional workers see related article below virtue applied for help last week Wither pay problem through the office of the defense department inspector general. Germany Region personnel official also has promised to personally review her , even if those efforts finally prompt the finance Center to expedite the inquiry virtue s attitude toward what happened won t  s my Money and it could have been in the Bank collecting interest she said. If it had been my error and they overpaid me they would t have let me keep the Money for this Long. They would have deducted it from my  would be better if Dodds had its own payroll office. Maybe then you d get some kind of answer some kind of re  finance office to add More employees by Dave Walczak education Hiler the finance office responsible for paying mos teachers in the military s overseas school syst Envin Europe is making slow but steady Progress in dealing with a backlog or Aboul 2,000 pay inquiries some of which Are left Over from the 1987-88 school year. According to figures from the 266th theater finance Center in Leiden. West Germany finance officials received 4,616 inquiries in August and processed4,989. In september 4,497 inquiries were received and4,5 66 were resolved. The finance Center also is advertising for additional help. It is seeking 45 people to fill positions ranging from gs-2 to gs-6. Plans Call for those employee Tobe signed up by nov. 10, the Center has scheduled a Job fair that Day at the Patrick Henry Village Dominion cub beginning at 1 p.m., to enrol the new employees. Only applicant who have applied through their local civilian personnel offices by nov. 3 will be eligible for the  finance Center under the direction of col. Jerry heard has been the target of numerous complaints by teachers. Many of the complaints have in funnelled through the overseas education , an sea source said thursday that the Union is backing away from an earlier threat to begin picketing the 266lh, beginning in mid november. Union leaders Are to meet with heard this  Union first became involved in pay operations in september 1987, when thousands of teachers Wen without at least one paycheck. Further complaints by teachers and other department of defense dependent schools officials resulted in an investigation into the Center s pay practices coordinated by the defense department inspector general s office in Wiesbaden. The in s interest prompted meetings that brought together representatives from finance Odds sea and the civilian personnel offices which handle the paper work necessary for paying Dodds employees. The group met wednesday to discuss the status of pay operations and received copies of a defense department in report that called for revisions in the pay system and deadlines to meet those revisions Accord ing to a panel member. The agencies represented at the meeting have until the end of november to respond to the report