Event Sequencing
- Fall 2008: The country --actually the world wide-- falls into a deep recession.
- Winter 2009: Massive bank failures
- Winter 2009 to present: Huge workforce reductions, businesses collapse, salary reductions and furloughs for remaining workers.
- Winter 2009 to present: Hard times and questionable bank loans lead to unprecedented foreclosures.
- Spring 2009: As tax revenues roll in, government realizes that due to people not working, or reduced salaries, tax collections are down, causing massive budget gaps.
- Spring-Summer 2009: To balance state, county, and municipal budgets across the nation, governments focus on furloughs and repealing contractual specified salary increases. Governments also realize that with deeper cuts necessary, even schools must be targeted. In Wisconsin, the governor repeals the QEO--part of the infamous 3-legged stool of school finance-- effective July 1, 2009.
- Spring-Summer 2009: As school districts set their budgets for 2009-10, they come to grips with reduced state aid. So who picks up the shortfall? There are only two options: make deep cuts to budgets which are typically comprised 80-88% of employee salaries and benefits. So...do districts cut staff? Reduce staff? Cut Programs? Or pass the costs on to tax payers via property taxes?
- Summer-Fall 2009: As districts across the state complete bargaining agreements with their staffs, a singular theme emerges: RAISES! In Sun Prairie, contractual raises (as a package) were at least 3.8% , while other jobs statewide faced layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts.
- Summer-Fall 2009: School budgets and Tax levies are due by November 1st. All across the state, statutorily mandated "annual electors' meetings are held, where the "people" determine the school tax levy. In many districts across the state (Google it!) taxpayers, like those in Sun Prairie, are coming out in force and doing what (most) school boards will not do: reduce the tax levy.
Are we nearing an event horizon? If the government can no longer afford to fund schools at former rates (nearly 2/3 funding), then WHO picks up the slack? Wisconsin is quickly becoming one of the leaders in property tax rates. Can we continue to pass school costs off in the form of taxes to homeowners?
We don't be-grudge teachers and administrators from pushing for more pay. Who are we kidding--don't we ALL believe we deserve a higher salary? But the simple reality -- and this extends beyond Sun Prairie and Wisconsin, it's a national problem-- is that salaries and benefits have to be commensurate with both the job, and the ability of the corporation (the state, the taxpayers) to pay.
- We have a problem when kindergarten teachers can retire with a salary of just under $80,000.
- We have a problem when these salaries are based on only 180 (give or take a couple) days when the rest of us on "standard" pay schedules (2,080 hrs/yr; 8 hrs/day) work 260 days. That's 80 fewer work days! That's a 30% reduction!
- We have a problem when district administrators earn more that the state governor, himself.
- We have a problem with a system that forces any cost savings in benefits such as health insurance costs be made up by increasing salaries.
- Yet we also have a problem when young, right-out-of-school teachers earn less than $30,000.
Now, there are those that will leap forward and say that teachers work all summer long. Sure...some do...particularly the "newbies" who haven't developed a game-plan. To those people, we'd say, "Who are you kidding...yes...some of you DO put in more than 180 days. But that's also true for those "regular" salaried workers who frequently put in more than 8 hours a day, working nights and weekends to do their job." We'd also tell them to "do the math": many of us either know or are related to someone in, the education profession, and we know that not nearly as much time outside of the classroom is spent as is claimed. And, yes, teaching and administration staff do take time to further their education-- some of which is mandatory. But you also get (at least partial) tuition reimbursement for that, and, in most if not all districts, a salary increase once you obtain a certain number of credits. In Sun Prairie, every 6 credits earned (that's TWO night classes, or even on-line classes) earns staff a 2% increase on the salary grid.
Folks, we need reform. The answer is not to take money from "fund balance" to balance the budget. We know that. Memo to school board members: contrary to popular belief, we are NOT stupid! It's time to start managing this business of educating our kids. If the budget is comprised 85% of salaries and benefits, then can you guess what needs to face the axe first? Don't even THINK about those tired and worn scare tactics of cutting programs, clubs, or athletics. Pull out your OWN wallets first. No one is saying you have to have your salaries cut such that you end up on skid row. But they WILL have to be frozen first, and then cut. It';s what the rest of the world is doing.
One final note is that everyone in the education business needs to step outside of their shoes and look respectfully at the rest of the world and ask a few questions.
Ask Yourself This:
It always seems to come down to quiet, private discussions about the net worth of a particular job.
- Are teachers at private/parochial schools (look at our own Peace Lutheran, or Sacred Hearts) doing any less work for a far lower salary/benefits package?
- Are the jobs of police and emergency positions - who earn far less in salary/benefits-- any less important than teachers/administrators?
- Are the jobs of those that treat the very wastes that you dispose of every day- who earn far less in salary/benefits-- any less important than teachers/administrators?
- What about the farmers, that grow the food you eat?
- There are an endless number of similar comparisons. We think you have the point
We're just sayin' what most of you are already thinking. For whatever reasons, however, you don't say it publicly. That needs to stop, too. Are you just DYING to see how Dr. Culver will subliminally rebut this in his InspirED blog?
Posts
