tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post5180945066833183861..comments2023-06-24T10:52:34.846-04:00Comments on EducateHilliard.com: Levy and Teacher NegotiationsPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-16336579546151678022008-02-24T17:06:00.000-05:002008-02-24T17:06:00.000-05:00Perhaps I am not understanding the total picture. ...Perhaps I am not understanding the total picture. Please correct me if I am wrong. Money in the budget has allready been allocated for the following<BR/><BR/>It would appear that with the upcoming contract we will grant<BR/>regular raises each year of 3 %<BR/>plus step raises of 3 to 4 + for a<BR/>range for many, but not all employees of 7% plus. There would be some contribution to medical care<BR/><BR/>Administrative increases will also be in the 3% plus per year range<BR/><BR/>So an administrator makes<BR/>60,000 $1800 raise min.<BR/>61800 $1850<BR/>63,350 $1900 +<BR/> A raise of over 5400.00<BR/>+ contribution to Pension<BR/> 100 adm at 5400 min<BR/><BR/>Teacher makes<BR/>60,000 first year 3% 1800 raise<BR/>61,800 3% + 4% 7% min $ 4,340<BR/>66.100 3% 1980 <BR/>so after that 3 years <BR/>68,000 8,000 over 3 years<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>1,000 teachers as a round, we have more<BR/> 1000 teachers at say 7,000 dollars for the 3 years<BR/>7 million dollars<BR/><BR/>total 7.0 million + 500,000<BR/>So there is 7.5 million<BR/><BR/>If we only halfed that we could <BR/>save 3.5 million easy.<BR/>The deficit for next year<BR/>is 4 million in cuts. <BR/>By not cutting personnel, raising fees, no busing or tech cuts. by just cutting back on raises<BR/>we can save 4 m <BR/><BR/>Any thoughts ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-46957995181184479532008-02-22T15:50:00.000-05:002008-02-22T15:50:00.000-05:00Steve:I agree that the monopolistic nature of our ...Steve:<BR/><BR/>I agree that the monopolistic nature of our public school system is the root of many problems. I much prefer a <A HREF="http://savethehilliardschools.blogspot.com/2007/01/food-stamps.html" REL="nofollow">100% voucher system</A>, but we're unlikely to see such a thing unless the current system completely collapses.<BR/><BR/>But we can make things a lot better if folks would sustain their interest in school funding beyond levy votes. It's taken a couple of decades for things to get this screwed up, and it will take a fair amount of work - by the whole community - to fix it.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the comments.<BR/><BR/>PLPaulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-38035466075674808832008-02-22T15:33:00.000-05:002008-02-22T15:33:00.000-05:00Regarding: It is interesting that cuts always come...Regarding: <I>It is interesting that cuts always come in elimination of programs, busing, athletics, music etc, but <BR/>NEVER has a freeze on wages..</I><BR/><BR/>That's because the taxpayers will never win this game. Public schools are, for all intents and purposes, a MONOPOLY, which means the consumer will never win. It's hilarious for people to try. The school has us by the short hairs and they know it, and they'll act as any monopoly does: completely in its own best interest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-11559335124158222052008-02-21T17:33:00.000-05:002008-02-21T17:33:00.000-05:00I noticed in Wed. Hilliard NW Newsboth parties hav...I noticed in Wed. Hilliard NW News<BR/>both parties have figured out that the little public spat is not playing well with the electorate. Suprise <BR/>Suprise. <BR/><BR/>I am not sure that the board or the <BR/>HEA GET the fact that things are tough out there. There seems to be a lack of understanding that no one is getting the raises they are. <BR/><BR/>Now someone will brand me anti school or anti teacher. I have voted for every levy and think we have good schools and many of the teachers do a great job. Notice I said many but not all. <BR/><BR/>It is interesting that cuts allways come in elimination of programs, busing, athletics, music etc, but <BR/>NEVER has a freeze on wages,or even<BR/>reductions in compensation seem to<BR/>EVER happen. <BR/><BR/>How about a combination of a slight reduction or Freeze in wages.<BR/><BR/>If we supposedly will be in the red<BR/>????? how could we give adm raises out the last year ?<BR/><BR/>I fear a no vote is coming. The new high school is part of the picture, but perhaps Mercedes type<BR/>compensation, needs to go on hold for awhile <BR/><BR/>For those who say we cannot afford <BR/>not to pass the levy, I would say<BR/>how do you think a good many homeowners who aren't getting raises in the private sector, facing layoffs, pay freezes or reductions going to pay for the <BR/>tax increase. No one seems to have an answer for that. The vast majority are not selling their homes, so right now a so called loss in property value does not have an impact. <BR/><BR/>Someone made the point about the people we have elected, and point about the administration and HEA supporting our current representatives is right on I thinkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-62411417335501904772008-02-19T23:13:00.000-05:002008-02-19T23:13:00.000-05:00KJ:Again, great points. Important enough to merit ...KJ:<BR/><BR/>Again, great points. Important enough to merit its own article.<BR/><BR/>Thanks<BR/>PLPaulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-48570045513730982842008-02-19T19:32:00.000-05:002008-02-19T19:32:00.000-05:00I agree that levies should pass more favorably sho...I agree that levies should pass more favorably should "all be right". But the fact is they do not. Mainly because of the reasons you point out, but also because of the strain the state has put on the homeowner. <BR/><BR/>And this levy is especially "tainted" because of the negotiations between the BOE/HEA.<BR/><BR/>To use the numbers provided by the school district and those that you publish on your site.....<BR/><BR/>The average teaching salary is approximately $62K. With benefits its more like $90K. The average class size in Hilliard is around 20 (yes, I'm using round numbers for convenience). This ratio includes special teachers, aides, etc. All teachers divided into the total student population.<BR/><BR/>The per pupil cost in Hilliard is $10,000. This includes specialized teachers, teachers, supplies, buildings and admin costs.<BR/><BR/>So, simply speaking $90,000 for teacher salaray divided by 20 students in each class equals about $4,500 of teaching salary per pupil. That's roughly 45% of the cost to educate a child in Hilliard. FOURTY-FIVE percent! <BR/><BR/>I think when people read "90% of educational costs is in salries" they take that to mean that 90% of the cost to educate students is in TEACHER salaries. Obviously, that is not the whole truth. <BR/><BR/>The classroom teacher in your child's classroom is not making up the 90% cost we hear about. He/She is making up 45%! There is another 55% of cost attributed to things OTHER than the teacher in your child's classroom.<BR/><BR/>I just ask that we break this down a bot so that folks understand what you mean by 90% of cost is salaries. Yes, the total cost of the district operations is mainly salaries, but NOT 90% of the teacher's cost to teach your child.<BR/><BR/>It's a very important distinction! I fear it is lost in many of your arguments. And paints a picture that 90 cents of every dollar goes into the teacher's pocket. WRONG.<BR/><BR/>PLEASE vote YES for Issue 26!KJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08742741131942481773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-5564674382161041972008-02-19T19:14:00.000-05:002008-02-19T19:14:00.000-05:00KJ:All good comments - thanks for making them. One...KJ:<BR/><BR/>All good comments - thanks for making them. <BR/><BR/>One point of clarification - a levy would be needed whether or not Bradley is opening. The magnitude might change, but our salary/benefit costs are going up enough to require additional funding regardless.<BR/><BR/>I think maybe the key point of my piece was one I made near the end: "Levy votes are the way the community negotiates with the School Board."<BR/><BR/>In other words, if the School Board has earned the trust of the community, and the community agrees with the decisions of the School Board, the levy passes.<BR/><BR/>But when the community votes down a levy, it is telling the School Board that the trust and agreement are not there.<BR/><BR/>I suspect that the School Board is going to get a second chance to get it right with this levy. That might even be a good thing. It might finally convince our leadership that their relationship with the community is broken and needs some serious work.<BR/><BR/>Our school levies should pass by large margins, indicating that the people of the community are in agreement with the way the schools are being run. After all, we are at a point where the overwhelming majority of people in the school district moved here because of the schools. You would think that the natural bias is in favor of passing levies.<BR/><BR/>Instead our levies tend to just squeek by (3% margin on the last bond levy), and then only after a couple of whiffs.<BR/><BR/>We can do better.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-46346612766435081812008-02-19T17:55:00.000-05:002008-02-19T17:55:00.000-05:00Paul, I understand that 90% of costs are linked to...Paul, I understand that 90% of costs are linked to salaries. The school system is a service organization and it stands to reason that it's greatest cost is salaries. Therefore, levies and salaries are linked. True.<BR/><BR/>However, I think the committee is asking the same thing I am asking: <B>to consider that the levy is not required because of greedy teachers. It is required because of growth. We need more schools, therefore more teachers, because of the growing enrollment.</B><BR/><BR/>The feeling of many in our community is that a failed levy means the teachers won't get an enormous pay raise (because the funds won't be available to give them a raise), while a vote for the levy will mean the teachers get an enourmous raise (because the community will have provided the funding to allow it). NOT TRUE!!!!!<BR/><BR/>I understand, believe me anyone who reads your site understands, that 90% of all costs in the school system is ties to salaries. Got it!<BR/><BR/>However, what is NOT clear is that a large portion of this levy is required because of INCREASED STAFF NEEDED TO OPERATE BRADLEY.<BR/><BR/>It's not fair to the levy to link the negotiations of the HEA/BOE to the need for this levy. We can all debate if the BOE had been more responsible financially, we wouldn't need a levy as large or as quickly. These are all true statements. However, a vote for the levy does not mean teachers get a favorable contract nor does a defeat of the levy mean they will get a more reasonable contract. In that way, negotiations are completely unlinked to the levy.<BR/><BR/>I just ask that you be careful in how wording is used. To your own argument, many of our community members are uneducated in the funding methods used, as well as HEA contract with the BOE.<BR/><BR/>To continue to link the negotiations directly to the levy is misguided. The community needs to understand that this is not a FOR or AGAINST vote for the union. Nor is it a FOR or AGAINST vote for the BOE. It is a vote for the addition of a new high school and REASONABLE raises for staff. <BR/><BR/>I beg the community not to see this is a choice between teachers and administration. It's not that simple! From the highest level, salaries are 90% of our costs, therefore controlling those costs reduces our tax liability. TRUE. But GROWTH has dictated a large amount of the salary increase in terms of new teaching positions, etc. <BR/><BR/>Remember, for every 20 kids, we add about $200,000 in expenses. That's something we never talk about on here!!!KJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08742741131942481773noreply@blogger.com