Roslyn Teachers agree to pay freeze... WHAT?!?! (Smithtown, Lindenhurst: home, to buy)
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I agree, Sean, and I apologize for my lengthy and sensitive post. It just hit home a little to see some of the posts where people degrade teaching, especially those who try to call it a part time job. It's extremely offensive to a teacher to hear that their full time job is part-time, especially when most who criticize the profession have absolutely no idea what it actually entails. My major point is that I've worked in jobs with over 100 hours a week of work, and teaching is just as difficult if not more. Does that solve the fact that some are making 150k and others are making 60k? Does that solve the fact that some are paying crazy taxes because their districts are trying to compete with the other school districts in the area? No, but I'm not sure if there will ever be a solution to the problem.
As people start to move out of the area, the overly rich will start to absorb the property taxes because they'll still want to remain in NY and live in their expensive houses (and some have no problem paying taxes upwards of $200,000 a year in some parts of Long Island).
Oh wow. Have any of you actually tried teaching???????
Everyone talks about how "easy" it is. It is mentally and physically draining. Especially, when you work in a poor urban area where children are underserved and in high need of services.
Walk a mile in my shoes before you tell me how "easy" my job is and that we don't need raises. Maybe this is o.k for teachers who have been in the system for over 25 years to give up a raise. But, I'm sorry, I live in the real world too and have to pay rising tax bills, mta hikes and con edison hikes too. Oh yes and an average rent here is about $1800 per month. That's more than 1/2 of my salary per month. After everything else is paid I have nothing left and a credit card balance for expensives that are unexpected that I can't afford. I don't go out to dinner and I don't recall the last time I even went to the movies. How much longer can I live and teach in NY? Not sure.
I agree, Sean, and I apologize for my lengthy and sensitive post. It just hit home a little to see some of the posts where people degrade teaching, especially those who try to call it a part time job. It's extremely offensive to a teacher to hear that their full time job is part-time, especially when most who criticize the profession have absolutely no idea what it actually entails. My major point is that I've worked in jobs with over 100 hours a week of work, and teaching is just as difficult if not more. Does that solve the fact that some are making 150k and others are making 60k? Does that solve the fact that some are paying crazy taxes because their districts are trying to compete with the other school districts in the area? No, but I'm not sure if there will ever be a solution to the problem.
As people start to move out of the area, the overly rich will start to absorb the property taxes because they'll still want to remain in NY and live in their expensive houses (and some have no problem paying taxes upwards of $200,000 a year in some parts of Long Island).
Yes, that sounds lovely ... LI will just be for the rich and a few slum areas for their servants!
Do you actually know of any residential properties paying $200K a year in property taxes? I don't. And I have researched what the "rich" homes pay vs. the average home in property taxes and it is less percentage-wise. I compared the lowest-priced home in Glen Cove and the highest priced one, a mansion with several acres, and guess whose taxes were proportionally lower? The mansion. Of the mansions out in Eastern Suffolk, the playground of the rich, some are ridiculously low taxed ... $1.6 million dollar mansion in Amagansett with $1,500 a year property taxes. The reason? Amagansett is mostly a summer town and does not have a very big school district. So don't tell me the rich are paying $200K a year in property taxes anywhere on LI. As usual, the wealthy pay less than their share of taxes.
Last edited by I_Love_LI_but; 03-26-2010 at 10:47 AM..
No one is degrading teachers. What we are saying is that we cannot afford to keep paying what we pay. How is that so difficult to understand? It simply cannot be sustained.
If the avg family in Nassau makes 85k (which they do), let's say they net 55k after all income taxes. Now, their property taxes are going to be on average anywhere from 6-12k. How can we ask families to survive on a net of 43k to 48k per year??
I think the teachers that are "offended" by our challenges to their compensation should really think about this. The cash cow will not be around forever.
Teachers are not the cause of the demise of the middle class.
We are the middle class and it is getting harder for us too. Teaching is stressful and emotionally draining. I give up my lunch hours to help students. I buy supplies for them because their parents can not afford notebooks and supplies. I have to buy supplemental workbooks for them because our school budget does not allow for this and they need them for state test prep. I also have to buy ink for the printer in the classroom because many students don't have a computer at home to print out assignments or research. The supply office here will not give me anymore because they simply do not have it. Budget cuts. Oh yes, then I had to pay for my education, it's very expensive to get a masters degree. Other professions make more than me without having to pay for this education. Also, I am required to attend yearly professional development (at least 4x per year), any other professionals have to do this? Please stop blaming us for state and local problems and the rise in income taxes. I have to pay taxes too. Are nurses who work in public hospitals blamed for local property tax increases? They get yearly raises and make more than teachers. Instead of blaming us, please thank us for all we do. We are the ones taking care of your children every single day and ensuring that they have a good future.
Teachers are not the cause of the demise of the middle class.
We are the middle class and it is getting harder for us too. Teaching is stressful and emotionally draining. I give up my lunch hours to help students. I buy supplies for them because their parents can not afford notebooks and supplies. I have to buy supplemental workbooks for them because our school budget does not allow for this and they need them for state test prep. I also have to buy ink for the printer in the classroom because many students don't have a computer at home to print out assignments or research. The supply office here will not give me anymore because they simply do not have it. Budget cuts. Oh yes, then I had to pay for my education, it's very expensive to get a masters degree. Other professions make more than me without having to pay for this education. Also, I am required to attend yearly professional development (at least 4x per year), any other professionals have to do this? Please stop blaming us for state and local problems and the rise in income taxes. I have to pay taxes too. Are nurses who work in public hospitals blamed for local property tax increases? They get yearly raises and make more than teachers. Instead of blaming us, please thank us for all we do. We are the ones taking care of your children every single day and ensuring that they have a good future.
What does this have to do with Roslyn teachers accepting a pay freeze to preserve jobs?
Teachers are not the cause of the demise of the middle class.
We are the middle class and it is getting harder for us too. Teaching is stressful and emotionally draining. I give up my lunch hours to help students. I buy supplies for them because their parents can not afford notebooks and supplies. I have to buy supplemental workbooks for them because our school budget does not allow for this and they need them for state test prep. I also have to buy ink for the printer in the classroom because many students don't have a computer at home to print out assignments or research. The supply office here will not give me anymore because they simply do not have it. Budget cuts. Oh yes, then I had to pay for my education, it's very expensive to get a masters degree. Other professions make more than me without having to pay for this education. Also, I am required to attend yearly professional development (at least 4x per year), any other professionals have to do this? Please stop blaming us for state and local problems and the rise in income taxes. I have to pay taxes too. Are nurses who work in public hospitals blamed for local property tax increases? They get yearly raises and make more than teachers. Instead of blaming us, please thank us for all we do. We are the ones taking care of your children every single day and ensuring that they have a good future.
A masters degree is not a guarantee of high pay for anyone who has one. For example, social workers and librarians must have a masters degree. They earn a fraction of what teachers on LI do.
As for nurses being paid higher than teachers on LI, only a few do and they have specialized skills and educations (nurse-practitioner and nurse-anesthetist). Nurses also do not have MONTHS of vacation time and routinely have to work weekends and holidays. How would you like to be "on" every other weekend? How would you like to always have to choose what major holidays you will have off? Either Thanksgiving or New Year's, but not both? Christmas Eve or Christmas, but not both? How would you like to have to work SHIFT WORK? Many new nurses cannot get anything but 2nd (3pm - 11pm) or 3rd (11pm - 7am) and many nurses of all ranks work very long shifts (12 hour days/nights)? If you don't want to pay your dues working off shifts, then fine, you won't get a job. Comparing what nurses go through to LI teachers is a very bad idea because LI teachers make out like the pampered prima donnas in this comparison on all levels.
Last edited by I_Love_LI_but; 03-28-2010 at 10:21 AM..
Reason: got an idea from another poster
A masters degree is not a guarantee of high pay for anyone who has one. For example, social workers and librarians must have a masters degree. They earn a fraction of what teachers on LI do.
As for nurses being paid higher than teachers on LI, only a few do and they have specialized skills and educations (nurse-practitioner and nurse-anesthetist). Nurses also do not have MONTHS of vacation time and routinely have to work weekends and holidays. How would you like to be "on" every other weekend? How would you like to always have to choose what major holidays you will have off? Either Thanksgiving or New Year's, but not both? Christmas Eve or Christmas, but not both?
Let's not forget the nurses who work overnights, who have patients -- young and old -- diagnosed with terminal illness, who provide comfort to patients and families, who have patients die on them, or who treat traumatic injuries?
Let's not forget the nurses who work overnights, who have patients -- young and old -- diagnosed with terminal illness, who provide comfort to patients and families, who have patients die on them, or who treat traumatic injuries?
A masters degree is not a guarantee of high pay for anyone who has one. For example, social workers and librarians must have a masters degree. They earn a fraction of what teachers on LI do.
As for nurses being paid higher than teachers on LI, only a few do and they have specialized skills and educations (nurse-practitioner and nurse-anesthetist). Nurses also do not have MONTHS of vacation time and routinely have to work weekends and holidays. How would you like to be "on" every other weekend? How would you like to always have to choose what major holidays you will have off? Either Thanksgiving or New Year's, but not both? Christmas Eve or Christmas, but not both? How would you like to have to work SHIFT WORK? Many new nurses cannot get anything but 2nd (3pm - 11pm) or 3rd (11pm - 7am) and many nurses of all ranks work very long shifts (12 hour days/nights)? If you don't want to pay your dues working off shifts, then fine, you won't get a job. Comparing what nurses go through to LI teachers is a very bad idea because LI teachers make out like the pampered prima donnas in this comparison on all levels.
Librarians? They get the same benes and salaries as the teachers do? I'm sure there is more librarians hired by school districts than by the libraries themselves.
Nurses and teachers do have alot in common, fields dominated by women. Both careers are really a passion, nobody becomes a teacher or a nurse for the money, its because they like kids or to help people.
Most nurses do not mind the off hours, it works well for them and the their families. As for holidays, as you gain seniority, its your choice to work or not (or atleast pick and choose). Nurses also have the ability to make alot of money on overtime, teachers do not. Many nurses can almost double their salaries (although the get hammered in taxes) with extra shifts. Nice thing to have that option these days.
Neither career is easy, I could not do either of them....
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