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I, for one, would be ticked if they reduced teachers pay! These folks don't get paid enough as it is, and have had to go thru this nervewracking mess for the past year...not knowing what to expect. The least we can do is leave their pay alone
Which would you prefer assuming for every 1000 teachers your choices were:
A. 5% pay cut
B. Release 50 teachers
C. Decrease employer health care contribution by 50%
There has been no pay increase now for two + years and we have lost 1/2 of a percent two years ago. Uh this district really does stink money wise. Come now a teacher with 30 years experience makes 57,113 here as a teacher for the wake county schools. Pretty sorry.
I don't have a dog in this fight about teacher pay, but I'm always a bit puzzled by statements that teachers are "underpaid." It has seemed to me that Wake County, for example, has always had more teacher candidates than it needs. Isn't that a reflection that the price of teachers in Wake County is at least as high as the market dictates to generate the supply of teachers needed? If the market is (not surprisingly) controlling the price, then the rate teachers are paid will only go up significantly if (a) the supply of teachers goes down (whether a reduction in raw numbers or a constriction of supply through unionization), or (b) the demand for teachers goes up.
I don't have a dog in this fight about teacher pay, but I'm always a bit puzzled by statements that teachers are "underpaid." It has seemed to me that Wake County, for example, has always had more teacher candidates than it needs. Isn't that a reflection that the price of teachers in Wake County is at least as high as the market dictates to generate the supply of teachers needed? If the market is (not surprisingly) controlling the price, then the rate teachers are paid will only go up significantly if (a) the supply of teachers goes down (whether a reduction in raw numbers or a constriction of supply through unionization), or (b) the demand for teachers goes up.
There is one problem with equating teacher pay and supply and demand under current pay structures. For the most part we pay all teachers regardless of subject area on the same pay schedule. We may give a bonus for special education and I am not sure Wake does. But for illustration purposes I will use four teacher certification areas.
Math
Art
Physics
Phys Ed
They are all on the same salary scale and yet the supply/demand for each is very different. In order to bump the salary up for math teachers you need to do the same for Phys Ed teachers. They have very different supply demand needs. Can you imagine if the state and Wake decided to apply budget cuts and their impact on teacher compensation differently based on content and organizational level? Tata and what he brings to the table as the county moves forward with budget cuts will be interesting. As Capt Chill has indicated teachers have already seen salaries frozen and with additional cuts it will be interesting to see what the relationship between supply and demand is in three years. Wonder how many teacher candidates are still heading south from Pennsylvania to North Carolina?
I should clarify what I meant...when budgets are cut, Districts without Unions can reduce pay by a small percentage. Teachers can take it or leave it. If you have a Union contract (that was negotiated before the crisis and is good for up to 5 more years) the option is to cut positions, creating larger classrooms and fewer 'specials' (like art, library, pe, music, languages, after school remediation, etc.). Leaving those who are left behind with more responsibility.
So although I'd love to pay teachers more, given the choice of two not very good options, I'd rather have more people employed and fewer kids in each class.
Many union negotiated contracts have out clauses for the district based on available funding. Teacher furloughs accomplish the same salary reduction. Public employees in unions around the country are currently having their negotiated salaries reduced. Do a search. This is a local forum so we need to keep it local but it is happening.
Another thing to consider is which teachers are most likely to leave the profession if there is a pay cut. Which ones will have other job opportunities? Which are most likely to get into graduate, law, or medical school?
I suspect it will be the brightest ones with the best educational backgrounds and most in-demand degrees who are young enough to make the switch. I'm not sure that's a good long-term strategy for the county.
Another thing to consider is which teachers are most likely to leave the profession if there is a pay cut. Which ones will have other job opportunities? Which are most likely to get into graduate, law, or medical school?
I suspect it will be the brightest ones with the best educational backgrounds and most in-demand degrees who are young enough to make the switch. I'm not sure that's a good long-term strategy for the county.
You got it! Also look at the developing trend regarding employment. Private sector employment is improving and public sector employment is deteriorating. The unemployment level for college graduates is much lower than those without degrees. The most in demand teachers math/science will be the ones with the most job opportunities in the growing private sector. As private sector demand picks up their benefits will improve as companies compete for the best talent. Teaching has always been low on the respect pole compared to other professions. Now with all the dumping on public employees and their benefits I wonder how the developmental pipeline is going? The availability of Biology teachers will still be impacted by organic chemistry
Which would you prefer assuming for every 1000 teachers your choices were:
A. 5% pay cut
B. Release 50 teachers
C. Decrease employer health care contribution by 50%
Or comparable numbers once crunched.
None of them are pleasant or teacher friendly
I get your point, but why target teachers, clearly they are an easy mark. I don't have the stats handy, but recall reading that wake spends far less per student than other districts. This may need to addressed at some point by looking at the inflow of funds from state/county entities. I think there are numerous ways money can be saved and raised. Considering the board decided against a non-educator for the super. job, I think we should have hired an ex CEO, someone who has corporate experience with managing budgets and controlling costs, and was accountable to shareholders and exec mgmt. However, considering the board controls these decisions at the end of the day, this may be a moot point.
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