http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/nyregion/12teachers.html?emc=eta1
Teachers are giving up raises in at least five Long Island districts, including Brentwood, where the 1,400 teachers will also take individual pay cuts of $900 that will be repaid to them without interest when they leave or retire.The entire article is worth a read.
Teachers are facing a wage freeze in 44 of the 69 Connecticut districts that reached new teacher contracts this year, something virtually unheard of in a state where the average raise has been about 2.5 percent.
And in Pelham and Scarsdale, two places in Westchester County that have long been synonymous with well-paid teachers, they voted to reopen their contracts and shave off a portion of their scheduled raises.
Such concessions come amid threats of widespread layoffs, state and local government budget cuts and insistent public calls that teachers make sacrifices in a tough economy.
“Nobody wants to give up money,” said Joe Hogan, president of the Brentwood teachers’ union, whose members unanimously agreed to give up their raises to prevent hundreds of layoffs and save music, art and sports programs. “Did everybody do this happily? I don’t think so. But did they do this because of the times we’re in? Yes.”
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It seems we can resolve the budget issues. We are close. If the Director of Elementary Education takes on grants, she can be paid a part of her salary from grants, recouping half her local salary. If the Director of Elementary Ed position is eliminated, the whole salary and benefits from local are eliminated.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, some of the union suggestions might be feasible. Just eliminate the grandstanding and histrionics of their president.
This is doable. Hunker down and find those cuts...we still have the Literacy and Numeracy Specialists and others who do not make a huge difference. The grant pays for them, but the grant can pick up other positions, namely the AP in the elementary schools if they become the providers of professional development and literacy help. Theses are people who should need little or no training in these areas.
The reaction by NY unions was quite different from the Ditrio, union talking head, reaction. There is an article in the Norwalk Hour with Ditrio's newest comments and accusations. At least Nast is trying to keep Ditrio in check. Good for you, Superintendent Nast!
ReplyDeleteDo the members of the NFT and NASA feel the same way as their leaders? Are they consulted on union decisions through broad membership input or are decisions made by a few? As a parent, I am very confused by your leaders: they're for the kids but don't attend state mandated meetings to improve student achievement when all other union presidents do, they're for the classrooms but their alternative budget reductions don't add up, they put forth votes of no confidence in the adminsitration and then members renig it, they don't sign onto Race to the Top then our state legislature unanimously enacts laws to make it happen. They seem to be very disconnected from their broader membership and from the education times we are living in. As a parent, I see these disconnects as major impediments to our district's progress, as much as our lack of leadership in central office. If I'm wrong, can someone please enlighten me?
ReplyDeleteNorwalk teachers and administrators, would you be willing to take a pay freeze next year?
Dear 2:43 Progress is being made. Yesterday I received a telephone call from NFT President, Bruce Mellion. Following discussions with district and state representatives, the NFT will begin sitting down at the state mandated monthly District Data Driven Management Team Meetings. This is progress...albeit painfully slow. I have been calling for it for 2 years! But grateful it is now happening.
ReplyDeleteOn another front, there is a bit of a food fight going on between the NPS distributed leadership (buildings and central office) over the budget. It frustrates me as a parent and taxpayer, especially since we pay approximately $8M in salaries (not including benefits) to individuals who are supposed to be 'in charge.' I do beleive however, that our new superintendent (who I hear is very metrics focused) will usher in a new era of adult accountability, paving the way for district improvements and budgets based upon data and not turf.
Speaking of our new superintendent, we have only heard about her salary...
ReplyDeleteLet's hear the whole story!!!
What are the costs of the benefits, perks, annuities, and all other costs to the taxpayers.
We have been told everything will be transparent. Well???
Maybe y'all missed the news the past few weeks, but the administrators union has been offering to freeze wages and change insurance to save the schools tons of $$$$$. Seems like the hotheads on the BOE and the less-competent third-floor team would rather bash Ditrio instead of recognizing that he and his union have offered to step up.
ReplyDeleteAbout the teachers--- didn't they just sign the contract? Wasnt that contract unanimously approved by the old Board? didn't the BET praise it? Hey, we were in the freaking recession then, we knew how bad we were doing and we knew what we could get. What claptrap, telling them now that they need to change their contract. Just another spin by Jodi Bishop Pull-a-Fast-One, the incompetent Ruotolo and other wagon-circlers.
I want to know why Norwalk is so poorly funded by Hartford. Seems that if the city was located elsewhere in the state, we would be receiving our fair share of the $$.
ReplyDelete"I do beleive however, that our new superintendent (who I hear is very metrics focused) will usher in a new era of adult accountability, paving the way for district improvements and budgets based upon data and not turf."
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, down here in Maryland a FOIA for salary of Montgomery County Public Schools employees has come back with a bill of $787 and a statement that it will take 20 hours to compile salary information, and a bill of $1,324 and a statement that it will take 22 hours to compile a list of all MCPS consultants and their fees.
Hope things are set up more efficient in Norwalk. (20 hours to make a list of employees and salary?)
Norwalk's grants are funded according to need. Need is based on the census information. The poverty levels in Norwalk are not the same as those in other areas of CT, or if they are, you can't prove it by the census.
ReplyDelete7:16 post is right on target. The teachers did just renegotiate a few months ago (during the current recession) and already changed insurance saving the Board lots of money, as well as other changes that will save money as well. Time to look somewhere else for the money and stop trying to take the easy way out by asking the teachers to give up more. its time for Central office give sonething up!
ReplyDeleteLooking for answers to this question----- Isn't there a huge difference between a young teacher making $50K who's asked to give back money & the central office gang who each are bringing in over three times that promising to take a few furlough days?
ReplyDeleteOne of them gets a little piece of bacon- the rest have the whole pig and the smokehouse.
Hey- lets not even get started on why these same people are trying to beat up the secretaries in their contract.
Any of the defenders feel like telling us why Dadonna and Rutolo haven't taken their furlough days yet? What's up with that???
Let's go back to the days of lack of transparency, please! Just read some of the above heinous comments that set up specific people as if they were ducks in a shooting gallery. Stop the systematic bloodlust amongst those who seek vengeance or who are envious. Let those who are paid to find the budget cuts do their jobs...and let the chips fall where they may. Please!
ReplyDeleteAssistant Principals need little training in literacy and professional development? Are you serious? The last round of hiring AP's required that they were "data" proficient. And now that the process has created data driven automotons with no inner smile, you want literacy? It doesn't mesh, Jack.
ReplyDelete7:58, are you telling me that the APs were not classroom teachers first? Of course they have experience in literacy and numeracy. They are just as able to become literacy specialists as those that came from classrooms. In fact, with the use of data as a strength, perhaps they will be even better PD trainers!
ReplyDeleteI am consistently amazed that the people who have a concern with particular literacy specialists keep insisting that assistant principals could do that job. maybe in some schools but not in all.
ReplyDeleteBut, AP's already have full-time duties in their schools, so who takes over their data team leaderhsip? Who handles their teacher evaluations? Who serves the kids while they are coaching?
Sure, AP's need to emphasize literacy. But few have the long term expertise to be both a teacher coach and one-on-one remedial instructor.
2:12, first of all, literacy coaches should not be one-on-one remedial coaches. The Reading Recovery jobs were eliminated a long time ago since Norwalk could not afford one-on-one remediation. Almost every other district did the same in Connecticut. The results weren't worth the money.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, data, evaluations and coaching should go hand in hand. If an AP evaluates, that AP should be able to go into a classroom and teach an exemplary lesson. If they don't know how, then how are they able to recognize and evaluate others????
Your argument does not hold up.
The previous post is confusing. Are you saying that, by virtue of their job description to evaluate teachers, APs should be able to teach an exemplary lesson? Data and coaching are compliment each other? How so? How exactly does a flair for numbers go hand in hand with people skills and tweaking the morale barometer? How do numbers provide support and internalize mutual respect? The interviews for candidates seeking AP positions do not require a demo lesson. How on Earth can APs be thought of as master teachers? Logically speaking, master teachers become mentors who nuture student and beginning teachers. Are there any APs who actually do demos for their staff? It would be most resourceful to recognize those schools who are fortunate to have them. Earning respect and providing support are necessary leadership skills that go well beyond data gathering and evaluating. Effective coaching is not as simple as 1, 2, 3.
ReplyDelete9:02, apparently you did not get lucky in the AP department. That doesn't mean that the other schools have only data driven APs with no background in the classroom. I pity your teachers if they are expected to be evaluated by an AP who could not teach an exemplary lesson herself/himself...and who has not earned the respect of the staff. What a dilemma your school has....better suggest to the principal that some serious evaluation should be going on.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am still saying your argument is weak. Are you stating that a teacher in an elementary classroom who has a flair for numbers should not teach reading? I know many people who are great at both numeracy and literacy, and they happen to be teachers.(thank heavens!)
Reduce the plethora of 100k+ do nothing APs at the elementary schools.
ReplyDeleteWhy is this so difficult to understand?
Our AP does not take care of data teams in my school--Literacy Coach does....LC takes on more admin roles then literacy. She should be our AP and get rid of the AP. I truely think you can combine the roles.
ReplyDeleteIt is time to dump all of the unions and make these people accountable based on job performance like the rest of the country.
ReplyDelete6:00 a.m. - The rest of our economy isn't entirely merit-based either. Bank/insurance/investment executives often receive astronomically high salaries, regardless of company performance, and then they get bonuses that we earthlings wouldn't dare dream of ever getting. I see the same with some of the companies in my investment portfolio. To make matters far worse, some of these same people have even put our national economy at grave risk.
ReplyDeleteA question for Steve--Marvin has their strings concert on Thursday evening at 6:30.....would love to have you and the BOE go to see the great work of the strings program at the elementary level. I know others have invited you to witness first had the wonderful program. I hope that you can and encourage others to also come from the BOE.
ReplyDeleteThere's been a great deal of interest recently in Trey Songz Net Worth new offshore residency program. How does it compare, however, with the long established but little known program in Malta that offers special residency and tax incentives to high net worth individuals?
ReplyDelete