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3/1/2010
Is writing on the wall – yet – for school contracts?
Kaukauna Schools Supt. Lloyd McCabe laments not having cash enough for “4 to 5 percent” increases every year. In Saturday’s Times-Villager, Jim Pinkham writes
In the best of all financial worlds for next school year, the district would add about $1.08 million to its operating revenues. That’s a 2.46 percent increase to battle any increased costs. “We’re getting about 2.5 percent increases in funds to operate a ‘business’ whose costs go up 4 to 5 percent a year,” said Supt. Lloyd McCabe. “The state funding formula has to change or the board has to decide to ask the public to increase revenue limits. ... and I don’t sense any willingness on the part of this board or the community right now to do this.”
Let’s see, inflation ran about 2% in 2009, 0% in 2008. And school costs continue to rise 4 to 5%? And the only option is to ask taxpayers to pay more?
Slowly but surely, school districts are getting it. What will it take for Kaukauna’s school board and Superintendent to get it? Or Appleton’s, for that matter?
Last week, the Beloit Board of Education and their teachers union agreed to 3 furlough days, one this school year and two next year. The agreement was possible because the contract settled last year allowed for the teachers union contract to be reopened if the district allocation from the state decreased.
A letter from the West Bend School Board to all the teachers in their District suggests the union will have to give – or kids will suffer.
We are committed to reaching a voluntary settlement and will work tirelessly to do so. However, the fiscal challenges facing our district are very real and will likely compound in the future. The state is facing an increased deficit and the West Bend area is one of the leaders in unemployment in the state. As the parents of our students and the citizens of West Bend face greater financial difficulty we will once again have the dilemma of balancing the competing interest of many groups as well as the will of the community.
Owen Robinson, a West Bend resident and active blogger says
The real question will be whether or not the board is willing to back up its assertion. If the union gets an increase, will they actually fire more teachers? I am hopeful. I don’t want to see anyone else lose their jobs, but if they take an unreasonable negotiating position then they deserve it. The teachers need to know the real world consequences of wage increases in a world of scarce resources. Indeed.
I asked the question before last spring’s Appleton School District referendum, which ultimately failed.
I asked AASD Superintendent Lee Allinger if, given that taxpayers appreciate and respect our teachers, he believed voters will think that an assumption of a 4 or 4.5% wage/benefit increase for 2009-2010 is acceptable. Allinger replied that “Contract negotiations have not yet begun for the 2009-10 school year. The economic downturn will have a significant impact on contract negotiations with all groups. Our community will expect that all educator settlements (including administration) will reflect what is happening in our local economy.“
So, what will those settlements be? Is it possibly time for district salaries to not increase?
These are serious times. Time when all must come to the table and do their part. When thousands and thousands have lost jobs in the private sector, is this the time to ask district employees to help with the solution? Perhaps so.
School districts across our region and across the state are proclaiming huge deficits and hinting about sure-to-come teacher layoff notices that statutorily must be issued by March 15. And of course the layoff notices will be accompanied by the standard wailing about our kids suffering, having fewer teachers and ultimately, larger class sizes. When that happens in your district, pleeeze ask how many of those teachers could be retained if teachers, like many in the private sector, accepted a no-increase contract?
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
I will grant you that it is difficult to give teachers raises when the average worker is living through a serious recesion. The real challenge for America is to find a way back to the great middle class America of the last generation. In the last decade real income has been flat to declining, while the extraordinarily wealthy among us have been increasing their income on the backs of the declining middle class. The teachers salary issue is just a reaction to the general decline in income across America. We need bright capable teachers who should not be asked to work for meager wages. The general decline is likely to be our Waterloo. Unless we can find a way to reverse the income distribution formula away from benefiting only the mega rich and rebalance wealth we will have to listen to tomes like yours for the rest of our lives. God Forbid.
billie (Mon Mar 01 08:17:43 2010)
Marx and Engels knew that the way to disrupt a stable society is to kill the middle class, leaving only the pwerful on one side, and the poor on the other. Looks as if their plan is working here in the USA just fine...
emily matthews (Mon Mar 01 09:11:26 2010)
Billie-
to the extent that the rich got that way and stay that way is because they provide goods and services that people want to exchange their money for, that is good and to be praised, not envied or lamented.
To the extent that they recieve subsidies, special considerations, and are able to use money manipulation and legalized counterfeiting to transfer wealth from the productive to themselves, we rightfully criticize the system and those who lobby for these special favors. I would be glad to work with anyone, left or right, to eliminate the latter.
Ken Van Doren (Mon Mar 01 09:48:18 2010)
Supt. McCabe is a "Classic" Wisconsin School Administrator. They've all lived in a world where for several decades they permitted costs to rise 4-7% in a generally improving economic environment. Now when their Constituents, who pay the bill, are themselves facing declining incomes (or no income at all, they have no creative solutions. NEVER do they take a 0% wage increase position with the Union. The Union in tern, "Feeds off its young" by demanding wage and benefit increases, while sacrificing junior seniority Teachers to the "Pink Slip" process. What a sad commentary for a powerful Union that proclaims to be, "Professional".
Also, let's dispel once and for all that Teachers, "Receive MEAGER wages. A Salary Schedule that tops out at $80,000 , for less than 9 months of work is NOT inadequate compensation. It is FAIR compensation. In addition Teachers enjoy Benefit Plans far in excess of Workers in the Private Sector. Again, It is FAIR compensation. The Union clings to a seniority; longevity system, where annual wage increases are granted merely for surviving another year; plus lane change increases for completing additional course work, that may, or may not make them better Teachers. While perpetuating these systems, the Union continually resists paying Teachers based on performance.
With 80 % of Public education dollars going for teacher compensation, when is the Tax Payer going to take a stand? Enough is enough! Public education has to start living in the real world or face the consequences of losing the support of the Public.
By the way, I have five (5) Teachers in my immediate Family and have the greatest respect for the honorable work they do.
G L Schilling (Mon Mar 01 10:39:08 2010)
Great Post Jo,
In my opinion (again) we need to start thinking outside of the box in our school staffing and attendance requirements.
We are still staffing and teaching as we did 40 years ago. I can't think of anything else that has not changed.
And yes, I can back up my thoughts with solid, educational ideas.
I will share one today. SAGE. In many elementary schools there are limits of 15 per class in the lower grades. Therefore what used to take about one teacher and one room now takes two teachers and two rooms.
My answer---have one room, one teacher and a full time teaching assistant. Children will get their one on one time and there will be a certified/trained teacher to make sure the teaching assistant is meeting the needs.
The above idea would save about $45,000 per year. Multiply that by 10 classrooms ............
David (Mon Mar 01 13:38:53 2010)
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