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Good question and I have pondered that. We have county wide school districts, works great but I realise that parents on LI would throw themselves on a sword rather than consolodate with an adjacent community.
I see a couple of ways to approach it"
1) The county would be the money source with residents property tax rate adjusted to the assigned district.
2) Where a school district crosses into 2 or more taxing districts, then the schools budget would be presented to both towns or a committee with reps from both towns. Financial responsibility to each town would based on how many of "their students" are attending in the district or how many households. This way the calculated figure is more constant.
Regardless what method the district is held to a budget and has to learn the word No! Another interesting observation, unions have always preached (quite loudly)that when the companies/employers are making a lot of profit the workers should also benefit. Unions have always negotiated their contracts using this point to justify their demands.....Now if they can negotiate contracts which increases pay and benifits when everything is good then why shouldn't raises/step increases be suspended or deferred because revenues are down and the tax base is diminishing.....
You do not have the 800 LB gorillas on your backs in VA that LI taxpayers have:
The public schoolteachers' unions that have been buying influence and unlimited power for its members against the taxpayers for decades. In public sector unions, there is NO correlation between profits and union member compensation benefits and wages and there never has been. Their MO is to grease the skids with the politicians with votes and money and the politicians in turn tax the taxpayers more to give the union members what they want. Your example is about private sector unions.
Consolidate on LI? Yes, that would result in a very merry "levelling up" of the wages and benefits so that all union members on LI would receive the exact same as the highest paid school district. Result = much more for all taxpayers to pay.
Solve that one if you have all the answers for us from down in NON-UNION CONTROLLED PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN VA.
Sorry to seem harsh, but there's a big world of difference. What may seem commonsense in a non-union controlled state of public schools like VA is turned upside down in NYS. The only hope is for NYS to become "right to work" which would allow school districts to circumvent unions and hire teachers outside the unions completely. However, the unions, especially public schoolteacher unions, are so politically strong in NYS, I doubt that would happen.
You do not have the 800 LB gorillas on your backs in VA that LI taxpayers have:
The public schoolteachers' unions that have been buying influence and unlimited power for its members against the taxpayers for decades. In public sector unions, there is NO correlation between profits and union member compensation benefits and wages and there never has been. Their MO is to grease the skids with the politicians with votes and money and the politicians in turn tax the taxpayers more to give the union members what they want. Your example is about private sector unions.
Consolidate on LI? Yes, that would result in a very merry "levelling up" of the wages and benefits so that all union members on LI would receive the exact same as the highest paid school district. Result = much more for all taxpayers to pay.
Solve that one if you have all the answers for us from down in NON-UNION CONTROLLED PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN VA.
Sorry to seem harsh, but there's a big world of difference. What may seem commonsense in a non-union controlled state of public schools like VA is turned upside down in NYS. The only hope is for NYS to become "right to work" which would allow school districts to circumvent unions and hire teachers outside the unions completely. However, the unions, especially public schoolteacher unions, are so politically strong in NYS, I doubt that would happen.
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).
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 16 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,220 posts, read 17,075,134 times
Reputation: 15536
Quote:
Originally Posted by I_Love_LI_but
You do not have the 800 LB gorillas on your backs in VA that LI taxpayers have:
The public schoolteachers' unions that have been buying influence and unlimited power for its members against the taxpayers for decades. In public sector unions, there is NO correlation between profits and union member compensation benefits and wages and there never has been. Their MO is to grease the skids with the politicians with votes and money and the politicians in turn tax the taxpayers more to give the union members what they want. Your example is about private sector unions.
Consolidate on LI? Yes, that would result in a very merry "levelling up" of the wages and benefits so that all union members on LI would receive the exact same as the highest paid school district. Result = much more for all taxpayers to pay.
Solve that one if you have all the answers for us from down in NON-UNION CONTROLLED PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN VA.
Sorry to seem harsh, but there's a big world of difference. What may seem commonsense in a non-union controlled state of public schools like VA is turned upside down in NYS. The only hope is for NYS to become "right to work" which would allow school districts to circumvent unions and hire teachers outside the unions completely. However, the unions, especially public schoolteacher unions, are so politically strong in NYS, I doubt that would happen.
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...
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 16 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,220 posts, read 17,075,134 times
Reputation: 15536
Quote:
Originally Posted by I_Love_LI_but
Take a wild guess how that would be affected if your public schools were controlled by teachers' unions.
No kidding, but reading the posts on school rankings even though many are but a point apart makes me believe that people would pay any price to maintain the 1 point edge.
One thing I do remember is that while house hunting last year in Nassau County, I found property taxes to be around (on average) $9.5K in the nice SD in NC.
This year they are averaging around $10.9K in the same areas.......so definitely that is something I have noticed while shopping for average 3BR/2BA houses.
I can only imagine where taxes are going in the next few years.
Comments on administrators...I realize that some districts have many more admins than others, some necessary some not so much. However, I would dare say that few to none of you actually know what the job responsibilities are for each admin, whether in central office or in each building. This ties in with the mandate discussions. Both fed and state depts demand data be fed back to them, so someone has to be responsible for gathering this data from each student and building and then translating it all into the various and numerous computerized forms, each in different formats, for each agency that is requesting the information. Input needs to be meticulous lest one lose any connected funding or scores reported incorrectly be seen by all as a failed district for example.
Admins are generally responsible for all curriculum changes, getting teachers trained in each area of change, handling all personnel issues from hiring, firing, tenure tracks, handling benefit issues, salary issues, professional development courses, observations and evaluations and the new rating systems involved, discipline of staff and students, handling of Special Ed - an IMMENSE job all year long, I don't even need to go on. Those of you involved in your districts know the extent of the work involved these days. For those of you recalling the days of old when you were in school, it is by no means anything like what it used to be!
It would be a very good thing to ask about the existence of any documents that detail exactly what your administrators do each day! Sometimes it is eye-opening, sometimes it forces the district to realize that they have never done any documentation of job responsibilities! Might be something that your school board members would like to have and could force the Supt to provide, so the public can get an idea as well! We did it once and it helps to keep the number of positions to what is needed.
Comments on administrators...I realize that some districts have many more admins than others, some necessary some not so much. However, I would dare say that few to none of you actually know what the job responsibilities are for each admin, whether in central office or in each building. This ties in with the mandate discussions. Both fed and state depts demand data be fed back to them, so someone has to be responsible for gathering this data from each student and building and then translating it all into the various and numerous computerized forms, each in different formats, for each agency that is requesting the information. Input needs to be meticulous lest one lose any connected funding or scores reported incorrectly be seen by all as a failed district for example.
Admins are generally responsible for all curriculum changes, getting teachers trained in each area of change, handling all personnel issues from hiring, firing, tenure tracks, handling benefit issues, salary issues, professional development courses, observations and evaluations and the new rating systems involved, discipline of staff and students, handling of Special Ed - an IMMENSE job all year long, I don't even need to go on. Those of you involved in your districts know the extent of the work involved these days. For those of you recalling the days of old when you were in school, it is by no means anything like what it used to be!
It would be a very good thing to ask about the existence of any documents that detail exactly what your administrators do each day! Sometimes it is eye-opening, sometimes it forces the district to realize that they have never done any documentation of job responsibilities! Might be something that your school board members would like to have and could force the Supt to provide, so the public can get an idea as well! We did it once and it helps to keep the number of positions to what is needed.
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.
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.
How do they find people to do her job in other states for much less?
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