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Friday, March 4, 2011
More thoughtful discussion on teacher salaries
While the budget showdown in Wisconsin has little to do with the situation in Loudoun County (Virginia's teachers aren't unionized and Virginia isn't broke), the comments on the blog this week seem to parallel many of the things being said on Fox News about that Wisconsin situation.
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"While the budget showdown in Wisconsin has little to do with the situation in Loudoun County (Virginia's teachers aren't unionized and Virginia isn't broke)..."
ReplyDeleteUh, at risk of stating the obvious, "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck..." Chairman Stevens, there's a reason why "the comments on the blog this week seem to parallel many of the things being said ... about that Wisconsin situation."
Let's see, single scale pay structure with step increases, employees paid by the hour, very generous benefits, jobs for life, dues that go to state and local worker organizations whose names end in "EA" which are branches of a national union whose name ends in "EA", and, oh, the word "contract" in the employment relationship.
Quack!
AMEN, John Stewart. The backlash against class warfare, and by that I mean the war on the middle class, and the utter hypocrisy on the right has begun. The FOX newsies and tea party zealots are right now digging their own graves. Bring on 2012! The President will be re-elected. There is no one in the Republican Party who will be able to get the majority vote.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big difference between asking for a raise and fighting to maintained bargaining rights and contract negotiation.
ReplyDeleteI think you have read but not heard the posts on your own board. A majority of the posters are not denying the schools budget. They are not even saying they are against the budget going up.
But, what they are saying is that any increase goes to true needs and improving the system. We NEED more teachers, not better paid teachers. Paying them more does not improve my Childs education or their ability to provide it. Reducing their class ratios would go farther to improving teacher and student performance.
I have read a number if teacher posts describing their work day. Much if their problems will not be solved with a raise that makes them feel better, or feel respected. If they want to feel respected and better bake them cookies. If you want a better school then address their needs and the negative posts will change.
You mentioned VA isn't broke. True, but Loudoun tax payers are highly educated and they don't believe Johhny will read any better if a teacher gets $1500 more this year.
Either work to solve their problems or step down.
Middle class person that disagrees with previous anon post. I voted for Obama, for change. I see no change and will not vote for him again. I consider myself an independent and hate both dem and rep parties. Here's the problem I have with a teacher's contract, No performance eval, they set no goals, lumped into 1 category and don't represent themselves for a specific job. Why anyone would want someone or another group to represent themselves at negotiating their salary and benefits puzzles me. To them it's all or nothing. To go to college, work hard and then have very little to no say what does that tell you? There needs to be a change in how all teachers are lumped together in pay. An art, phys ed, music teacher should not get paid the same a Chemistry, Calc, History, English teacher. A HS teacher should make more then an Elementary teacher.
ReplyDeleteAgree with anon at 10:03, a raise isn't going to change the number of hours worked, which is what most teachers complain about. All this does is put a temporary band aid(give the teachers a warm fuzzy), but then they'll be back to complaining about all the extra time they put in. What's puzzling is I haven't seen/read anything from any of the School Board or Dr Hatrick to address this issue? That's scary. Appears to be lack of communication between teachers and School Board(and Dr Hatrick).
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 10:17--
ReplyDeleteYou might want to consider that most of the teachers, even the ones who complain about the work load, are very comfortable with the current system. Anon 10:03 is right by saying giving $1500 more doesn't make a student a better learner. And having slightly smaller class size doesn't make her a better learner, either. Better teaching does. Making that happen though means changing more things than most teachers want.
To John Stevens: and YOUR posts seem to perfectly match with MSNBC. If your core values match the high tax, high debt, and bloated union gov workforce of CA, NJ, IL, etc... then please move there. We need a school board in Loudoun County that can better manage the existing budget instead of RAISING TAXES EVERY YEAR! The health benefits, vacation/sick leave, and retirement benefits LCPS employees receive are ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteThrowing money at a problem IS the problem!
ReplyDeleteMuch of the School board is a rubber stamp for Hatrick's bloated needs. If you want to make a change, it comes at the BOS level. Call them and make yourself heard. Pursuing The School Board re. budgets is wasting your time.
Here, here. And I have. I call and write emails everyday and copy posts from here to prove points. And why do you think Bob O. is leaving School Board? According to some teachers and school board members, I should be going in to the boss and demanding a 5-10% raise every year just because my expenses are going up, my commute takes longer and I'm working too much.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that some states are figuring out the pay for performance system and were even given Federal Race to the Top money to do so:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/08/2104445/teacher-pay-bill-on-fast-track.html
Here, we can't even get it on the agenda.
Pay for performance is the way to go. Reward great teachers, not all teachers for merely surviving another year. A competitive environment will benefit students and their academic development.