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Interesting read. Superintendent Concludes 2010-11 Budget Presentations . Note the statement from a Garden city parent saying "Increase academic programs, I do not mind paying more taxes for increased programs!". Many people in the upper-middle class and rich communities have similar thinking - give the best to the kids, i will pay more.
WJFM,
I've been to these Garden City meetings before, although I couldn't attend this one. The parents being quoted here are very ignorant. Most of them are simply self-interested parents who care about one particular program or another. So, they get up and whine about it being cut. They lose focus of the big picture and the fact that our school taxes have essentially gone up by 100% over the last 8-9 years. 100%!
Most parents don't fully understand how the teachers union works and how the administrator pay is set up. They don't realize that it is the teacher and administrator salaries that are causing the budgets to be so out of whack that they have to cut a program or two.
That's why they ignorantly say "I'll pay more so my baby can have a better education, etc." What they should be saying...and what I say at those meetings...are that we need to revamp our contracts with the teachers. Until we get some fiscal sanity there, we will never be able to pay for and afford the cutting edge technology and other enhancements that other school districts around the country enjoy.
By the way, this doesn't just apply to Garden City. I've seen the facilities at Jericho and East Williston schools. They pale in comparison to what other districts around the country enjoy.
In short...our budgets are skewed too far towards teachers/administrators and their benefits...and not enough on facilities and technology for our students.
What technology do Jericho, Garden city and East Williston schools lack that are available to schools around the country? Jericho does seem to have cutting edge courses and technology. Facilities-wise, Jericho might be lacking in some sports facilities, but there are non-profits in Jericho that make up for it ( the Jericho Athletic Association has several programs for kids).
I think people on these boards must mainly hang out with rich people. The fact is that the median HOUSEHOLD income in Nassau is 85k. So, for you to say 90k PER PERSON is nothing is frankly a slap in the face to most of your fellow Long Islanders. It's this mentality that helps justify the extortion-like taxes.
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Unless you can prove to me a correlation between high paid teachers and student performance, your argument for EW school district is empty. I can point you easily to school districts like Uniondale, Hempstead, Wyandanch and others that have very highly paid teachers and poorly performing students.
It's not the teachers that make the difference. As long as you have competent teachers, it really is the FAMILIES and the socio-economic status that make the difference in achievement.
Nobody said that 90k is nothing. However I am saying for a professional living on LI with 10+ years experience it is not exorbitant. I would compare their salary with people working 10+ years with a bachelor's degree on LI(I would say masters, but the teaching masters is a joke). Again I ask what should a veteran teacher make in your opinion? Teachers do make too much money in my opinion too, but I am saying 90k is not too much for someone who has a lot of experience in a professional position.
Just noticed that not only do East Williston Teachers get unlimited sick for themselves they get unlimited time off if someone in their immediate family gets sick! I would love to see how much East Williston School District Taxpayers pay for salaries of substitute teachers each year!
does anyone know which elementary schools are good and which ones are bad. i heard wilkinson is is bad and treats kids horrible and then lies to the parents when they confront the principal and teachers. i have not heard anything nice about it. how about hagen and lewis and clark?
Nobody said that 90k is nothing. However I am saying for a professional living on LI with 10+ years experience it is not exorbitant. I would compare their salary with people working 10+ years with a bachelor's degree on LI(I would say masters, but the teaching masters is a joke). Again I ask what should a veteran teacher make in your opinion? Teachers do make too much money in my opinion too, but I am saying 90k is not too much for someone who has a lot of experience in a professional position.
SpecialP,
I think you'd be VERY surprised to learn what people make on LI after 10 years in the private sector with just a bachelors. It's RARELY going to be 90k. Why do you think the median HOUSEHOLD income isn't even 90k in Nassau? Most workers are in the private sector..not public. It is the private sector salaries that help establish that low number. Again, I don't think you are being realistic here.
What should a teacher on LI make with 10 yrs experience? No more than 70k. I absolutely stand by that. Given their level of benefits and their pension and given their 180 working days per year, 70k is very generous at that point. That's WELL ABOVE the median INDIVIDUAL salary in LI. Adding in the cost of benefits, the pension, the sick days and vacation days, well, you can see where I am going.
What technology do Jericho, Garden city and East Williston schools lack that are available to schools around the country? Jericho does seem to have cutting edge courses and technology. Facilities-wise, Jericho might be lacking in some sports facilities, but there are non-profits in Jericho that make up for it ( the Jericho Athletic Association has several programs for kids).
WJFM,
There are plenty of areas in LI schools that need to be improved from a technology standpoint.
1. The buildings themselves tend to be much older and are difficult to update.
2. The athletic facilities are inferior as you mentioned. Garden City is an exception, since they place such a premium on athletics. However, most districts on LI lag behind in this area.
3. From what I've seen, the computer facilities and network capabilities of schools on LI seem to not be as advanced as other areas (ie. slower adoption of gigabit networks, wireless 802.11n, etc.)
4. Audio/visual equipment for presentations seems vastly inferior.
5. I've seen other high schools around the country with very advanced media labs running full TV stations (on local cable) and radio stations. (In fact, we had this back in 1992 in Western PA.) The students write, produce, direct, and perform everything. I haven't seen that here.
6. Other schools have engineering and architectural labs with advanced software for rendering designs. Again, I haven't seen that here.
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These are differences and gaps I can think of off the top of my head. Now, technology isn't the be all and end all. European students are well ahead of their US counterparts in various testing, and yet they have very poor technological facilities. Thus, teaching, curriculum, and family environment are still key. Nonetheless, technology and infrastructure help, and, in my opinion, LI lags behind the best school districts in the country in this respect.
I believe this is mainly because we have to pay so very much to our teachers and administrators, that we don't have much left over for the students.
Do you have sons or daughters at these schools? I am not ashamed to admit that I am financially fortunate, and I thank God everyday for that. However, I have a daughter who attends Wheatley, and I firmly believe the teachers get paid what they deserve. Although this might be sickening to some, it's the truth: we can afford to pay these taxes (my property taxes alone are $36,000 a year), and I would say 80% of my neighbors or more are fine with the school districts that we are sending our kids to. If you live in the area and are truly unhappy with the taxes you are paying, then move out. Otherwise, you're all putting words into the mouths of taxpayers who are actually helping to pay for these teachers and are fine with it.
I've posted a few posts on this forum, and I have said before that I am a NYC teacher. I did a number of other jobs in investment banking and finance in the past, and although I do not have to work anymore, I continue to do so because I love it, and I do it at way less pay than the East Williston School Teachers. The only thing we can really complain about is that the East Williston School Teachers get paid more than other school teachers even though they are doing the same exact job. So yes, the teachers who work there are either extremely lucky or 'know someone.' Do I think they are overpaid? I really don't. At the end of the day, we have a great school system, and I'm not complaining. Long Island is blessed with some of the best schools in the country ( and don't give me rubbish with the US News reports because they are bogus ), and for those of us who are fortunate enough to live in an area with a great school district, we should be happy that we are able to send our sons and daughters to these amazing public schools.
While the salary appears to be high and the benefits appears to be great. This is how these districts attract top quality teachers. Most teachers are either Ivy League or tier 1 schools graduates with close to 4.0 GPA. Many scores top 2% percentile on their state certification exams. But, that will only get them an interview. It is the dedication and passion to teach that will get them (or keep) their job.
Sure, the teachers in the city cost less. But, I don’t think it’s fair to compare our districts with NYC’s. Since, their union is weak and haunted by the city’s wonderful cost cutting efforts. Just look at what that wonderful savings got for the taxpayers and the number of dropouts that suppose to be the future of this country.
I think our teachers are certainly capable of going into other more lucrative professions and not have their income published. When was the last time we hear someone complaint about their doctor, banker, contractor, realtor, manager for making too much and worked too little? (think real hard about the last appointment you tried to get with them during the normal work week) Or do we hear these professionals complaining about teacher’s salary. We don’t because, they wouldn’t be where they are today without one.
Can you live in E Williston (or Nassau)on less than 90k these days?
Not defending it but 90k HHI is a pittance and crap on LI.
Crooks
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