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Myself and my husband will be moving to this area next year and i would welcome any advice you could give me on schools that I should be looking at for my 5 yr old (who will be 6 when we move). Here in Ireland she has just started her first year (junior infants) so unsure what or where she would be placed in a US school. I am told catholic schools are expensive ???
Most 6 year olds here are placed in first grade. I don't know what you would call expensive for private school. Catholic school is generally considered less expensive than a nonsectarian private school. If you are low income, some Catholic and nonsectarian private schools may offer some type of scholarship or tutition assistance. Most Long Island public schools, by American standards, are considered to be pretty good. Finding a good public school within New York City if you are a New York City resident is harder.
A teacher cannot retire until 55 and collect a full pension. Perhaps people in other civil service professions can but certainly not teachers. Don't lump teachers in with other professions who you may hold grudges against.
Its not a question of "holding gridges", it is simply economic reality. Life expectancy has increased significantly. It is not uncommon to see some civil servants, including teachers, to be retired longer than they worked. Yet they draw subsidized health insurance and a generous guaranteed pension until they day they die. That scenario is unsustainable over the long run.
What worked in 1955 doesn't work today. We need to see significant changes to the retirement systems of the civil servant working force to keep Long Island competitive in being an area private sector working people want to live in. The private sector workforce is predominantly the engine that pays for the civil service workforce.
Yet they draw subsidized health insurance and a generous guaranteed pension until they day they die
If you mean Medicaid, we paid for that. If you mean a district-funded health insurance, we accepted what the district offered. The generous guaranteed pension was also contributed to in every one of our paychecks, and district contributions are a matter of rule of law.
Yet they draw subsidized health insurance and a generous guaranteed pension until they day they die
If you mean Medicaid, we paid for that. If you mean a district-funded health insurance, we accepted what the district offered. The generous guaranteed pension was also contributed to in every one of our paychecks, and district contributions are a matter of rule of law.
Yes, you paid a PORTION of the cost of your insurance. The diffference was made up by taxpayers. You paid a PORTION of your pension, taxpayers made up the difference.
I'm not looking to demonize the civil servants here, just pointing out the economic reality that the current scenario is unsustainable over the long haul.
Great post. You provide excellent insight. I do find it amusing that anyone who questions the compensation is labelled a "basher" around here. I guess that means we're onto something.
I really didn't mean for my post to give that impression. Most posters provide very reasonable, civil arguments, but there are a handful who are of the opinion that compensation and benefits aren't deserved because the job is so cushy, it's part time, an MS in education is a joke, etc. It's those things that are hurtful for a teacher to hear (or read in this case). As for the compensation? Hey, teachers pay school taxes too. Perhaps if they cut some of the 'perks,' it wouldn't be all that bad since property taxes would go down and teachers would essentially "break even"? I really have no idea. I'm horrible with economics and politics and whatnot. That's why I teach English.
Please tell your union reps all about it and encourage them to go down there too and try and sign up the teachers in your new school district.
I think the teachers' unions need to spread their wings more instead of so rigidly focusing on just a few places like LI. If they grow their membership elsewhere, perhaps they will get too busy to focus on us so much and, hopefully, will soon consider us "tapped dry" and concentrate on conquering the rest of the country that currently has reasonable property tax rates.
It's the unions causing the problems with their unreasonable demands, NOT individual teachers.
I've seen you use this idea in several threads related to schools outside of LI. It makes me wonder how far reaching these evil unions are... where else are they?
To be honest, I just don't see where this is coming from beyond misery loves company and I certainly don't see how it would help LI in the long run. The reality is that you've created a monster which ultimately comes down to the insanely inflated home prices. If you want the best teachers, then you have to pay them enough to afford a home... so, it becomes a vicious cycle. The areas outside LI where you want to see these unions spread have affordable housing options - MANY reasonable options for a HOUSE at the 200k price point. Having the unions come in, double their salaries, and jack taxes to pay them enough for a 400-500k McMansions just doesn't make any sense.
The problem is that the 400-500k on LI gets you a 60 year old ranch on a tiny lot. Combine that with the taxes and think about where your new teachers are going to live if you didn't give them top pay. Don't deflect the unions elsewhere when the real problem is affordable housing options on LI.
The problem with top pay is that it is funded by taxpayers. I understand that we need unions for safety etc, but they also abuse their power and get these sweetheart deals that the tax payers just cannot afford anymore.
Not quite right. They are eligible to retire at 55 but the pension is not "Full". The amount of the pension is dependant on years of service.
If the amount of the pension is dependent on the years of service, then how do you know the pension is not "full" at 55?
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