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Old 07-23-2012, 09:08 PM
 
158 posts, read 344,507 times
Reputation: 76

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
I'm not being chased out. I'm smartly deciding that I no longer need to live in a top school district now that my children are raised. We're a long way from being on fixed incomes, but we're being smart about protecting our finances. You're the one who is "going broke," not me.


You'll never win against the rising costs of education. Never. Your fight will be for not. I know because my parents fought the same fight you're fighting decades ago. The school board gives you a chance to tantrum, but they'll still vote according to the wishes of the majority of the population. If you truly think you have the majority, run for school board. If you can't win school board, you have little chance of influencing the school board.
Your statements continue to show aggression and a form of anger......"doth the lady protest too much"!!!

Thankfully and believe me, I am grateful every day, I am "not going broke".

Well we will just see won't we, as to who wins here. I am not and never have been a quiter, so your advise on going in that direction is wasted on me.

You might recall that back in 2009 it was said that the Tea Party was nothing more than a futile effort. Per chance, did you notice what happened to Congress in 2010. This group of people did not quit either.

Interesting that you say the school board will "still vote according to the wishes of the majority of the population". I suppose with this assumption you obviously think the majority of Pine Richland residents wanted to pay for the smartphones of our public service employees.....amazing!!

It's also amazing that you are so involved with this thread when you are leaving this "top notch" school district since your children are raised. If you're not a resident, then your ongoing involvement with a case specific topic would appear to be a waste of valuable time.

Perhaps you might get more enjoyment, fulfillment, and direction spending your time on a forum for information on your new "money saving" community.

Again, my best wishes to you on your move and fresh start.
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Old 07-23-2012, 09:12 PM
 
158 posts, read 344,507 times
Reputation: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Retiredcoach View Post
From the Pine-Richland Patch outlining the administrative compensation package :

School Board Approves Compensation Plans - Pine-Richland, PA Patch

From the Pine-Richland School board documents of the July 16 board meeting surrounding the new compensation package for district administration:
2012
http://www.boarddocs.com/pa/prsd/board.nsf/files/8WA2ZU04A849/$file
/Act%2093%20Compensation%20Plan%202012-2015%20%20%287.16.%29.pdf

As a side note, school board director Lyons likes to remind residents that Act 93 employees had a pay freeze last school year. Do you want to wager that the "work at home"/ take the random days off perk was initiated then as an incentive for the Act 93 administrators to sell the wage freeze? In other words, for the sake of receiving good press, the board asks for a freeze, gives administrators added undocumented vacation/ days off, and then rewards them with a generous compensation package (voted upon at the July board meeting when the fewest citizens have the information, or cannot attend). Good luck in your search for greater accountability from this school board- they have truly lost track of their responsibilities to the citizenry and the students.
Thank you for providing valuable direction to our effort.....much appreciated.
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Old 07-24-2012, 07:23 AM
 
Location: O'Hara Twp.
4,359 posts, read 7,507,031 times
Reputation: 1611
I really can't recall when an affluent school district has cut teacher salaries. At best their raises are in the 2% range instead of 3 or 4%. Most are too afraid of a strike. The closest thing is the Bethel Park situation. In short, the district won't agree to the teachers demands and vice versa. So, the status quo continues which means not step raises for the teachers but high insurance payments for the district.

So, please don't get your hopes up.

Hopes, where are you moving to? Are you merely moving across the county border? Or are you really leaving the area for a quaint rural small town like Ligonier?
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:12 AM
 
158 posts, read 344,507 times
Reputation: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by robrobrob View Post
I really can't recall when an affluent school district has cut teacher salaries. At best their raises are in the 2% range instead of 3 or 4%. Most are too afraid of a strike. The closest thing is the Bethel Park situation. In short, the district won't agree to the teachers demands and vice versa. So, the status quo continues which means not step raises for the teachers but high insurance payments for the district.

So, please don't get your hopes up.

Hopes, where are you moving to? Are you merely moving across the county border? Or are you really leaving the area for a quaint rural small town like Ligonier?
Cutting teacher's salaries, as you refer to, is not the issue here. The issue is that in Pine Richland, as mentioned before, negotiations initiated back in January. The existing contract expired June 30th. The union negotiators can now see what has been budgeted for a wage increase and what the administration accorded themselves in their respective packages. Given that knowledge, management has announced the limit of what the budget will tolerate.

That group of concerned citizens within their petition to the Board, did not ask for a "wage cut", but instead asked the union to maintain their present salary structure voluntarily as a show of good faith in these hard economic times.

Why is everyone afraid of a strike? In industry, if we negotiated for 6 months and reached an impass, we would place on the table a final offer. If the union refused to accept that and voted to go on strike, we could wait a reasonable period of time, implement that last offer, advise the union members that if they did not report for work....they could be terminated with replacement workers hired.

Of course this is a pretty radical strategy, but one that exists none the less.

This sector of public service employees seems to hold themselves above and beyond the main stream work force in this country.
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:34 AM
 
Location: Umbrosa Regio
1,334 posts, read 1,802,538 times
Reputation: 970
Teachers should be paid salary and provided benefits that correlate to their contribution to the long-term viability of our society, which is high.
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:41 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,875,925 times
Reputation: 17378
Quote:
Originally Posted by southeastlady View Post
Why is everyone afraid of a strike? In industry, if we negotiated for 6 months and reached an impass, we would place on the table a final offer. If the union refused to accept that and voted to go on strike, we could wait a reasonable period of time, implement that last offer, advise the union members that if they did not report for work....they could be terminated with replacement workers hired.

Of course this is a pretty radical strategy, but one that exists none the less.

This sector of public service employees seems to hold themselves above and beyond the main stream work force in this country.
I wish just once the school board and union didn't come to an agreement and the teachers when on strike and they were replaced. It needs to happen once for some balance. Just think of the massive money savings hiring new teachers at the starting wage. There would be a line a mile long trying to get a teaching job in this region, so they would be filled in no time.
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:43 AM
 
Location: O'Hara Twp.
4,359 posts, read 7,507,031 times
Reputation: 1611
Quote:
Originally Posted by southeastlady View Post
Cutting teacher's salaries, as you refer to, is not the issue here. The issue is that in Pine Richland, as mentioned before, negotiations initiated back in January. The existing contract expired June 30th. The union negotiators can now see what has been budgeted for a wage increase and what the administration accorded themselves in their respective packages. Given that knowledge, management has announced the limit of what the budget will tolerate.

That group of concerned citizens within their petition to the Board, did not ask for a "wage cut", but instead asked the union to maintain their present salary structure voluntarily as a show of good faith in these hard economic times.

Why is everyone afraid of a strike? In industry, if we negotiated for 6 months and reached an impass, we would place on the table a final offer. If the union refused to accept that and voted to go on strike, we could wait a reasonable period of time, implement that last offer, advise the union members that if they did not report for work....they could be terminated with replacement workers hired.

Of course this is a pretty radical strategy, but one that exists none the less.

This sector of public service employees seems to hold themselves above and beyond the main stream work force in this country.
One reason why people fear strikes is that for many working parents they have no back up plan in place if there is a strike.

If you only wish to maintain the present structure, there is no need to even bother with extending the contract. The districts generally want to have some sort of cost savings on the health care front so they have an incentive to negotiate a contract.
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:50 AM
 
158 posts, read 344,507 times
Reputation: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by LIRefugee View Post
Teachers should be paid salary and provided benefits that correlate to their contribution to the long-term viability of our society, which is high.
Pine Richland required test scores have fallen from a ranking of #27 to 51. Evidence that their "contribution to long-term viability of our society" has also fallen. Given your analogy, their salary and provided benefits should "correlate" which would equate to decrease in both verses holding the line on both as was requested in the petition presented to the Pine Ridhland school board on July 16th.
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:52 AM
 
Location: Umbrosa Regio
1,334 posts, read 1,802,538 times
Reputation: 970
Teachers, in general, are very important to the long-term viability to a society. Without education, you have zilch. If you want high-performing teachers, you have to pay for them. You get what you pay for.
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:53 AM
 
158 posts, read 344,507 times
Reputation: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by robrobrob View Post
One reason why people fear strikes is that for many working parents they have no back up plan in place if there is a strike.

If you only wish to maintain the present structure, there is no need to even bother with extending the contract. The districts generally want to have some sort of cost savings on the health care front so they have an incentive to negotiate a contract.
What you are missing here is that labor law requires that where there is a bargaining unit present, you must collectively bargain. The law does not require you to reach an agreement.
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