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Keep in mind that teacher contracts are for 3-4 years at a time. Although I agree that sometimes teacher unions ask for too much of a raise in this economy....teachers do live on LI and at least deserve a basic cost of living increase. Qualified teachers make better schools which to help property values.
I'm sick of this old saw. Give it a rest.
They are making their salaries on the backs of LI taxpayers and WE CANNOT AFFORD IT ANYMORE.
We are all living here on LI. If I went to my boss and said I deserve a raise because it's expensive here they would say "WTF are you talking about". That old line needs to be retired.
It doesn't get to that because there is something called the Taylor law..the teachers cannot strike nor can the district just fire all of them.
But, if they do strike, they can be fired.
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Originally Posted by dman72
It goes to arbitration.
Arbitration doesn't really help because the arbitrator looks at the district's "ability to pay" when arbitrating the difference between what the district is offering and what the union is seeking, which generally favors the union.
Better yet, each school district should lay off all their faculty, sell the school buildings and give each student in the district money to attend a school district, public or private, of their choice. That would reduce the annual school property tax bill for sure.
Better yet, each school district should lay off all their faculty, sell the school buildings and give each student in the district money to attend a school district, public or private, of their choice. That would reduce the annual school property tax bill for sure.
I was thinking about that while reading the "County Executive" thread.....the only way we're ever going to legitimately get out from under this whole web of bloated, unionized BS is to annihilate it completely and rebuild a less corrupt system. People are never going to vote in difference makers and even if they're willing to - no one is going to make a difference. There is absolutely no hope for the absurd school taxes within the boundaries of the current system.
I was thinking about that while reading the "County Executive" thread.....the only way we're ever going to legitimately get out from under this whole web of bloated, unionized BS is to annihilate it completely and rebuild a less corrupt system. People are never going to vote in difference makers and even if they're willing to - no one is going to make a difference. There is absolutely no hope for the absurd school taxes within the boundaries of the current system.
Look, I'm not one who is going to try to sell you the line that you should keep paying teachers over 100K after 20 years to keep your housing values up..obviously that is as absurd as saying you need to be paying cops 98K base unless you want crime to run rampant...but if you don't think firing all the experienced teachers, as Walter suggests, wouldn't effect how the school district is viewed, you're nuts. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water.
LI schools ARE a drawing point and ARE part of why your 3 bedroom 1950's cape in Bethpage can even be considered to be listed at 400K without inciting roars of hilarity. They're aren't the only reason, but they are a part of it without a doubt.
If you consider GC schools run down, then Plainview must be a disaster to you, and East Meadow schools would be a 3rd world slum.
GC kids have everything they need to learn. Go to a classroom in Europe, where they don't have half of our facilities, and those students will kick our student's butts. (Of course in Europe they have school choice, voucher like programs, and teacher accountability, but I digress.)
I'm not worried about our facilities. I'm worried about our school board and our budgets. Now, to be fair, GC spends $14,662 per student and that's less than any of the other elite school districts: Jericho, Locust Valley, Great Neck, Manhasset, North Shore, Roslyn, East Williston, Syosset, Port Washington, and Rockville Centre. (Only Herricks beats GC by 4 dollars.)
I think the school board is pretty efficient with our tax dollars, but certainly there is room to improve.
I think where we really are being raped is by the police and fire department. We have a GC Lt. making $238,000 a year and meter maids at 80k a year. That's sickening.
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As for the rest of Nassau and Suffolk, where village services aren't an issue, they clearly are being raped by their schools.
Kudos to Dman and Jrprof for not being hypocritical
I think where we really are being raped is by the police and fire department. We have a GC Lt. making $238,000 a year and meter maids at 80k a year. That's sickening.
I'm not worried about our facilities. I'm worried about our school board and our budgets. Now, to be fair, GC spends $14,662 per student and that's less than any of the other elite school districts: Jericho, Locust Valley, Great Neck, Manhasset, North Shore, Roslyn, East Williston, Syosset, Port Washington, and Rockville Centre. (Only Herricks beats GC by 4 dollars.)
I'm not sure where those Newsday numbers come from. I got my numbers from the school budget itself and GC News. Either way though, even using Newsday figures, it is still a lower cost than the other top districts (except for Herricks).
I still feel our police, fire, garbage, sewer are the real culprits of the high taxes...at least for our village.
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