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Hate defending this, but true is true. The Asst. Super for Business in my district does a great job under intense pressure and works crazy hours. She makes good dough though, about $191k. Truthfully, I don't want that job and good luck finding someone qualified who will do it for less. Deals with the public, lawyers, construction, investments, tech, purchasing, food service, insurance, budgets, transportation. Runs all of those departments. She does that for $191k. A Principal at the elementary school makes $165k and goes home at 5:30pm tops. Gimme that gig any day of the week.
I agree but I Have NEVER heard anyone claim an assistant superintendent for business is an unecesssary administrative position.
Can't we at least cut 70 superintendents and a 70 assistant superintendents for curriculum (and their staffs) and 70 assistant superintendents for business and a thousand other duplicative assistant superintendents and a thousand other 'Directors' if we consolidate to county wide systems? The fact that teacher pay might not change shouldn't be a barrier to this sort of move - it is essentially impossible to "CUT" any public employee pay in this country ('right to work' states included).
Do you really think the people in charge (the administrators) are going to let that happen? Go to the website for school superintendents in NYS or the Nassau Suffolk school board association and take a look at their plans, PowerPoint presentations, talking points and budgeting tips (aka how to get the most out of the sucker taxpayers). I have posted links to sites like this before. They are prepared to fight dirty to keep themselves and their cronies in the sweetest spots possible just like the unionized personnel does. See NSSBA position paper on the tax cap for example. Even though the cap has plenty of loopholes they find it "far too limiting" (direct quote). Yet, funny there is not one word about reigning in the teachers' unions or reigning in the comp, perks, bennies, free publicists, free cars, lavish spending, etc., for themselves in all their "suggestions" to replace the tax cap.
Example: a detailed plan was formed a couple of years back to consolidate the 3 Valley Stream school districts. Not ONE superintendent, asst. superintendent, administrator, etc., was cut and they had meticulous "reasons" why they were all still needed. Of course some of the lower level people like secretaries were suddenly not needed though and could be put in the "savings" column. It's the foxes in charge of the hen house.
Breath, you have misread the answers I provided to questions posed to me. My initial suggestion was to eliminate a school districts ability to levy a tax (post #6). I suggested that the school district submit a budget to the town(s) it represents for approval and funds allocation. Subsequent questions asked how to address districts that cross town lines.
My statement on the unions stands! I grew up in NY and saw my dad on strike 6 times as sympathy strikes where all he got was lost wages. They preach spreading the wealth when times are good well let them defer raises and step increases now that the economy is bad.
I realise you have union teachers but union or not why should a school district be allowed to determine what the tax rate will be? Let them create a budget proposal and have the town(s) they represent approve it. Maybe it will mean new carpet and curtains for the teachers lounge will have to wait another year...
TY for pointing out what I missed in my zeal to rant.
Yes administrators work "all summer" - for about 6 hours a day in their shorts and t-shirts while you're doing .... what? Oh, right - the same thing you always do, business as usual. I have an uncle who is a Supt for Business, he laughs about his "summer hours" (while he interviews for "big wig positions" elsewhere on COMPANY TIME) You should too.
Everyone complains with great vigor that it is irrational that it costs $50,000 per year to go to Harvard, or some other fancy college. On Long Island, everyone pays pretty much the same per student -- sometimes more -- to send someone to pre-school, elementary school, high school. It is entirely insane, and makes no sense. I am all for paying teachers a fair and decent salary, but is should not cost 1/2 a teacher's annual salary for each kid in his/her class. Manhattan private school tuition is cheaper than Long Island, tax driven, public education.
How do they find people to do her job in other states for much less?
I really don't care how they do it in other states. Long Island is a completely unique brand of 60 year old knotted mess with tangles that go all the way to Albany. Start by burning the state constitution that protects the BS politically motivated contracts drawn up. But give some blame to the taxpayers and nimby 'tards who elect the same dipsticks over and over again.
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