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I've gotta run but the issue is not SOLELY the individual school boards. The unions collude together with a "monkey see monkey do" attitude and all want what the other has. The unions can hold even the most budget conscious school boards hostage for the most part because if one SD union gets more money, more perks, etc., the rest are focused on raising hell if they don't get it too. It has been that way for several years. Today's school boards are not dealing with problems of their own making for the most part, but with a payroll and benefits situation that has been growing unchecked and out of control for at least the past 40 years.
PS: It is the same for the LI police in that their payroll and benefits situation has also been growing unchecked and out of control for at least the past 40 years. (And, yes, the police gravy train is better than the teachers have, but you have to admit the teachers have the 2nd best gravy train on LI ... and knowing how many, many more teachers we need than cops, that is a considerable feat.)
LIRR gravy train is second behind cops, I'm afraid to say, especially considering that 90% of them were getting paid disability on top of retirement until just recently, and no college is necessary. Teachers probably 3rd.
LIRR gravy train is second behind cops, I'm afraid to say, especially considering that 90% of them were getting paid disability on top of retirement until just recently, and no college is necessary. Teachers probably 3rd.
to be fair, the disability pension so many of them were illegally taking advantage of wasn't funded by the LIRR or MTA.
Comparisons are only accurate if there is an apples to apples comparison of services provided by the local government in question.
Someone made the assertion that we pay more towards payroll in our school budget than other areas...that would have to explain why taxes are so high.
He was apparently wrong compared to mobile Alabama. How is that not an accurate comparison? Let's go check out some really high rated districts in other parts of the country and see what % of their budgets are payroll.
I LOVE LI's point I believe was that the cost of school payroll as a percentage of total cost of all property taxes was 46%.
I'm not disputing that school payroll should be a huge part of total school budget, but should school payroll be such a large percentage of all property taxes?
Let me use the argument that you and others use against the Police, which I agree wholehearted on.
If we we lowered salary and benefits in LI, would we still get qualified candidates?
The answer is hell yes. My brother in law is a great teacher in a Queens Catholic school. He's certified in Math and Social Studies and has a Masters. He makes 35k a year, and hasn't been able to get a SNIFF at any Nassau and Suffolk schools because he doesn't have connections.
He'd DIE for half of what some of those teachers make. There are many other highly qualified teachers out there who would work for much less than the gravy train we have going in Nassau and Suffolk.
As for Reagan, that argument is beyond the scope of this thread. Needless to say though that after LBJ's social welfare nightmare through Carter's stagflation, Reagan was a breath of fresh air.
I LOVE LI's point I believe was that the cost of school payroll as a percentage of total cost of all property taxes was 46%.
I'm not disputing that school payroll should be a huge part of total school budget, but should school payroll be such a large percentage of all property taxes?
Let me use the argument that you and others use against the Police, which I agree wholehearted on.
If we we lowered salary and benefits in LI, would we still get qualified candidates?
The answer is hell yes. My brother in law is a great teacher in a Queens Catholic school. He's certified in Math and Social Studies and has a Masters. He makes 35k a year, and hasn't been able to get a SNIFF at any Nassau and Suffolk schools because he doesn't have connections.
He'd DIE for half of what some of those teachers make. There are many other highly qualified teachers out there who would work for much less than the gravy train we have going in Nassau and Suffolk.
Yet, we are the fools who keep paying for it.
You would get qualified candidates, I'm sure, but it's not even remotely similar to what goes on with police. My wife could earn 70- 80% of her current salary in the area of Virginia I mentioned above. That's nice, and we've considered it, but wouldn't make a huge move for that increase in quality of life vs. pay...at this point.
However, why would she accept a pay cut here when we could move there for a cost of living that is somewhere closer to half? I've said before, if my wife took a serious pay cut, we'd leave LI as soon as possible. 8 years teaching experience, awards, letters from dozens of parents and students thanking her, stats impeccable..bye bye LI. I know knee jerkers, don't let the door hit us.
If my neighbor or relative who is SCPD took a 20% pay cut, no way he would leave. Let's see, 120K+ vs 96K+..but 20 year retirement? Free medical? With his associates form a community college? No way he's leaving, even with a hefty cut. There IS a difference, and a pretty significant one. If you paid every teacher on LI what Private school does, do you know how many kids in college would start switching their majors almost immediately? Yeah, I know, then you don't want them.
My wife did not get her job because of connections..she got a job in one school district after leave replacing in another (with no connection) and having the assistant principal from district a call district b, saying consider my wife for a position, interviewing, leave replacing in district b, and getting a full time job. So, the stuff about nepotism..it's a problem, and it does apply to too many people teaching currently, but not all..probably not even half. So, while your anecdote claims your brother in law can't get a sniff..with a math certification? Something else is going on there, maybe. Sorry, if you have a pulse and teach math or science, you can get a "sniff".
I'm sure you and your wife are lovely people, but if a 20% paycut sent you packing, then so be it. We can't afford to keep you here. I'm sure you wife is a fantastic teacher, but there are talented private school teachers dying to jump at that spot.
The real drain would be on private Catholic Schools. They would lose all their best teachers and eventually have to close. Frankly, they are doing that anyway, except the ones in wealthy neighborhoods. But, public schools would be fine once all those slots opened up from the "teachers in flight" to other states.
My brother in law was certified in SS, and didn't get a sniff. He just got Math certification this year, but with the budget issues (wonder why), he can't get a sniff even in Math.
The nepotism in Nassau and Suffolk is disgusting. Kudos to your wife for beating that system, but it is still broken. Even if 50% are hired that way, it is still too much.
LIRR gravy train is second behind cops, I'm afraid to say, especially considering that 90% of them were getting paid disability on top of retirement until just recently, and no college is necessary. Teachers probably 3rd.
I'd like to hear more about the LIRR gravy train. You mean those people wearing the organ grinder monkey suits and hats who do a job the developmentally disabled can do (punch holes in little pieces of paper) make out better than LI public school teachers?!?!? Argh!
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