Teachers, your medical benefits, am I reading it correctly? (Star: school, salary)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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It is crazy ... I am moving from Michigan to Durham in a month. The benefits up here cover the entire family, and that includes medical, dental, chiropractic, psychiatrics...too bad the economy is so bad! I have to think that it is due to the lack of strength in the unions in North Carolina. Granted I have yet to experience them, and I am not saying that I am completely pro-union, however after looking around at other states I would have to say that Michigan's Teachers Union is what is getting us these excellent benefits!
Michigan's Teacher's Union, the MEA, is costing you your job!
Couldn't agree more. Look at some cities on that list that are highly paid. A lot of those places are the WORST school districts in the country. They are not getting out of their students what they pay their teachers.
Okay so what is the point of that comment? If the money in the school budget is missused then that is another story. When you say $xx per student, that does not all go to students, it is an average per student of the budget. You don't know what percentage actually goes to students and what goes to operations/admin and non student costs. What I can say is in my county - which has many nationally top ranked schools - we pay top dollar in taxes and our schools show the results. That is not only because we pay out our "you know what" but we are involved and we make sure the money is used appropriately. You need a combination of the two.
Okay so what is the point of that comment? If the money in the school budget is missused then that is another story. When you say $xx per student, that does not all go to students, it is an average per student of the budget. You don't know what percentage actually goes to students and what goes to operations/admin and non student costs. What I can say is in my county - which has many nationally top ranked schools - we pay top dollar in taxes and our schools show the results. That is not only because we pay out our "you know what" but we are involved and we make sure the money is used appropriately. You need a combination of the two.
You're misunderstanding what I said. Obviously there are great school districts that pay their teachers highly. I was referring to the cities of Detroit, LA, Chicago, etc....just the Cities and not the suburbs.
Detroit is going bankrupt right now and has some of the worst crime in the country, yet and average teacher makes nearly $100k? No matter which way you slice it, something is wrong with that picture.
My guess--there's more of a correlation between affluence/education of parents than what the teachers are paid. There are plenty of examples of excellent schools in areas where teachers are paid relatively low salaries, plenty of examples of terrible schools in areas where teachers are paid relatively high wages and everything in between.
As far as Detroit goes, it's really not their money they're spending. The way the property tax works up there they redistribute the money from other parts of the state. So, when it's not your money and there's a lot of it, you waste it (in their case on administration and arguably overpaid teachers).
As a recent employee of one of the urban districts you mentioned, ponder this fact -- the middle school where I worked (2000 students) spent $100,000 a year on lost textbooks - textbooks issued to students that were never returned. The school was required by state law to issue textbooks to students and reissue them regardless of whether the student owed the school money for a lost book.
In North Carolina, I don't believe schools are required to issue textbooks. (My kids weren't; I had to request them.) This may represent a savings to the school, but what is best for the education of the children?
Such expenditures have very little reflection on the quality of the teachers or their pay.
I think WCPS must be making money on their insurance plan. At least when the employee opts to add the spouse or spouse plus a single child member.
I spent about 4 hours here gathering quotes from numerous health care insurance companies. The quote is based on my wife and son and the exact same coverage, deductions and benefits coverage offered at Wake. I was able to find coverage from AAA rated companies for the same plan at a rate of $177-$242 monthly! wcps is asking for $490 for the same coverage? Either they need to review their plan and price out the purchase part with another insurance co., or the school / state is pocketing funds off this? The insurance plan offered by this county is disgusting in my opinion. Some of you walked that fine line and did not just come out with it and state it. So there, I just said it for you all. Wake's health insurance stinks!
I think WCPS must be making money on their insurance plan. At least when the employee opts to add the spouse or spouse plus a single child member.
I spent about 4 hours here gathering quotes from numerous health care insurance companies. The quote is based on my wife and son and the exact same coverage, deductions and benefits coverage offered at Wake. I was able to find coverage from AAA rated companies for the same plan at a rate of $177-$242 monthly! wcps is asking for $490 for the same coverage? Either they need to review their plan and price out the purchase part with another insurance co., or the school / state is pocketing funds off this? The insurance plan offered by this county is disgusting in my opinion. Some of you walked that fine line and did not just come out with it and state it. So there, I just said it for you all. Wake's health insurance stinks!
I totally agree with what you said. If you're single it's great, if you have a family then 99% of the time you can get better, cheaper private insurance. They must use the "extra" money to help subsidize employees who get free single health care. Either way, my wife has better and MUCH cheaper insurance and when we have our baby later this year, he/she will be going on her insurance.
I was doing some poking around on the Wake County school's website today. I'm applying to work as guidance counselor. As I read the benefits package and pulled up the health coverage plan I was shocked. So if I understand it correctly, you as the educator / employee get insurance coverage under the smart choice plan. But, if you want to ad your spouse and / or family you pay extra? For a family it is quoting $413 per month for the cheapest plan? Am I missing something here? The recruiters call the Wake County benefits generous? Good grief that is by far the worst health care benefit plan I have ever seen offered to educators nationwide!
Unfortunately many companies do it the same way. It is not just a state issue. Many companies will pay all of or most of the single plan, but then will not cover much of the family plan.
Unfortunately many companies do it the same way. It is not just a state issue. Many companies will pay all of or most of the single plan, but then will not cover much of the family plan.
Yes, but if you read my post, their supplimental plan for the rest of the family is over TWICE as much as it can be purchased for privately. And that is not comparing apples to oranges. It is for the same policy plan. So either they are overcharging and pocketing the difference, or they need to shop around themselves.
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