[Vision2020] Letter to the Editor: Teacher salary article was incomplete
Tim Lohrmann
timlohr@yahoo.com
Tue, 29 Jul 2003 18:26:43 -0700 (PDT)
Donavan,
What you write at the end is just the point.
Teachers are NOW being used to save money. The only
difference is that a few of them are losing their
employment entirely instead of a smaller cut for all.
My point is that IF cuts are going to happen,
wouldn't the teacher's union's spirit of solidarity be
better exemplified by all taking a small cut rather
than a few losing their jobs entirely.
TL
--- Donovan Arnold <donovanarnold@hotmail.com> wrote:
> This has never happened before, but I agree with Mr.
> Kaag. (What is
> happening to me, I agree with Luke, Dale, and now
> Mr. Kaag on something!)
>
> I think teachers are treated horriblely, and I would
> fight to have them keep
> the pay they have. I think many teachers already
> spend their own free time
> and income helping students.
>
> Tim, I think having teachers agree to a pay cut is a
> BAD idea. This is
> saying that they can afford a pay cut and will be
> used in the future as a
> way to save money. I think members of the community
> need to agree to pay our
> teachers more pay, not have the teachers agree to
> take less pay.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Donovan J Arnold
>
>
> >From: Tim Lohrmann <timlohr@yahoo.com>
> >To: Don Kaag <dkaag@turbonet.com>
> >CC: vision2020@moscow.com
> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Letter to the Editor:
> Teacher salary article was
> >incomplete
> >Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 19:02:29 -0700 (PDT)
> >
> >Don,
> > This is an era when teachers are being laid
> off
> >from their jobs because of either a lack of funding
> or
> >a decline in the number of students or both.
> > Why doesn't the teacher's union, in the spirit
> of
> >solidarity, voluntarily adopt an across the board
> pay
> >cut for all teachers and especially the higher paid
> >administrators in the approximate per-capita amount
> >that it would require to retain those teachers?
> > The issue these days doesn't seem to involve
> >teachers with much bargaining power to make demands
> >other than retaining their jobs. There are many
> >qualified teachers in Moscow who are unemployed,
> >underemployed etc. Most teaching jobs advertised in
> >the public schools hereabouts receive dozens of
> >applications.
> > If the union is sincerely concerned with the
> >cutbacks and layoffs it would seem that they should
> >demonstrate it.
> >
> > TL
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >--- Don Kaag <dkaag@turbonet.com> wrote:
> > > Dale:
> > >
> > > As the token public school teacher, I have a
> couple
> > > of questions and
> > > comments...
> > >
> > > 1. Our compensation package is not as good as
> > > either UI or WSU.
> > >
> > > 2. In the last three years, the cost of our
> medical
> > > insurance to each
> > > member (and we are required to be members of the
> > > pool...) has increased
> > > each year by more than the district has
> increased
> > > their contribution.
> > > Given that our salaries have not come close to
> > > matching annual
> > > cost-of-living inflation, that means that, in
> > > effect, we have
> > > experienced pay cuts for at least the last three
> > > years.
> > >
> > > 3. What summer school?
> > >
> > > 4. Continuing recertification requirements
> generally
> > > require teachers
> > > to go to school every summer, and no, the school
> > > district does NOT pay
> > > us to attend! We pay tuition like everyone
> else.
> > > Most of us not
> > > attending college courses in the summer are
> working
> > > on curriculum, on
> > > our own time, "off the clock", for the next
> school
> > > year.
> > >
> > > 5. If you are attending summer school most of
> the
> > > summer, the chances
> > > of A) other employment, or B) extended
> vacations,
> > > are slim.
> > >
> > > 6. There are very few coaches as a percentage
> of
> > > the total number of
> > > teachers in this district. Those teachers who
> do
> > > coach make a
> > > pittance, and work long hours on nights and
> weekends
> > > to earn it. Most
> > > of the extracurricular activities requiring
> teacher
> > > presence are
> > > covered by volunteer teachers, i.e., WE DO NOT
> GET
> > > PAID FOR OUR TIME
> > > OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY!
> > >
> > > 7. Most of the teachers I know come early and
> stay
> > > late.
> > > Additionally, we work nights and weekends on
> > > correcting assignments and
> > > exams, writing lesson plans, contacting parents,
> and
> > > on professional
> > > reading and education.
> > >
> > > 8. Salaries in Idaho are so low, and the
> attitude
> > > of many Idahoans
> > > towards public education is so poor, that very
> few
> > > of our student
> > > teachers stay here and teach in the state. We
> are
> > > supporting higher
> > > education to train teachers to teach in Idaho
> > > schools, and they are
> > > very intelligently packing their bags and going
> > > elsewhere to teach upon
> > > graduation. So, what will happen to both the
> public
> > > and private
> > > schools in Moscow when the 77% of the district
> > > teachers who are at the
> > > top of the experience and education scales hit
> > > retirement (Most of them
> > > in the next 5 years.), should be interesting to
> > > watch.
> > >
> > > 9. I am all for merit pay. My salary will go
> up.
> > > I have a Masters
> > > degree (3.93 GPA) in History, and the equivalent
> of
> > > another in
> > > post-Masters courses. (I teach Advanced
> Placement
> > > U.S. History to high
> > > school juniors, and my kids are tested by
> worldwide
> > > competitive exam,
> > > administered by the Educational Testing Service,
> the
> > > same folks who
> > > write and administer the College Boards.)
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Don Kaag
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Monday, July 28, 2003, at 04:27 PM, Dale
> Courtney
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > I wrote the following Letter to the Editor in
> > > response to Alexis
> > > > Bacharach's article last weekend. It ran in
> > > today's Daily News.
> > > >
> > > > Best,
> > > > Dale Courtney
> > > > Moscow, Idaho
> > > >
> > > <image.tiff>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Moscow teachers are paid more than the state
> > > average because teacher
> > > > pay is based on a) the number of college
> credits
> > > attained (in any
> > > > subject) and b) the number of years of
> teaching.
> > > However, the article
> > > > left out many important details. Teachers are
> > > further compensated in
> > > > at least three significant ways that are
> typically
> > > ignored in salary
> > > > discussions. First, teacher benefits account
> for
> > > an additional 28.6%
> > > > of their salary. In the private sector, fringe
> > > benefits average 15.8%
> > > > of salary.
> > > >
> > > > Second, MSD teachers instruct 168-170 days per
> > > year for the salary
> > > > discussed above (the national average is 180
> > > teaching days per year).
> > > > The average American works 240 days per
> > > year—nearly 30 percent more
> > > > days than government teachers for the pay they
> > > receive; plus, they
> > > > have the opportunity to teach summer school,
> go on
> > > vacations, take
> > > > other employment opportunities, or be paid by
> MSD
> > > to attend college to
> > > > add to their salary. To compare MSD teacher
> > > salaries to the rest of
> > > > the nation's salaries, teacher salaries must
> be
> > > "annualized"—converted
> > > > from a school year to a 12-month scale. To see
> the
> > > results of this
> > > > normalization, visit
> > > http://courtneys.us/msd/Teacher_Salaries.htm
> > > >
> > > > When you include these first two compensations
> > > (benefits and
> > > > annualized salary), the real average MSD
> teacher
> > > salary is $63,663;
> > > > and 77% of all MSD teachers are making over
> this
> > > amount.
> > > >
> > > > Third, these salary figures do not include
> extra
> > > pay for all the
> > > > extracurricular activities, such as coaching.
> This
> > > compensation at MSD
> > > > can be significant—up to 48% again the
> teacher's
> > > base salary.
> > > >
> > > > Three things fall out from the above
> discussion.
> > > First, teacher pay is
> > > > not based on merit or excellence in teaching.
> > > Second, the fastest way
> > > > to a pay raise is to get more college
> credit—in
> > > anything! Third,
> > > > having 77% of all teachers at the top of the
> > > salary grid is
> > > > mismanagement of taxpayer funds.
> > > >
> > > > Dale Courtney
> > > > Moscow
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >__________________________________
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