Teachers Sign Without Raises - Take One For The Team

[Jim O'Bryan]

I was speaking with Ed McCartney last night. We all remember Ed from his run for city council.

He was explaining how he had the Board of Education's ear, when asking for the Ten Commandments to be posted again in schools. He thought the Board was for it, but mentioned that Dr. Joseph Madak explained that he for one did not want Lakewood Schools to be a test case for this. Still Mr. McCartney thought there was enough acceptance from the rest of the board that it was worth his effort to continue to try.

When I asked what else happened he dropped the bombshell. "The teachers signed without raises, and administration did the same through 2012."

More after I can contact Dr. Madak or someone from the board.

Ed thought it was nice that the Teacher's Association was so nice in giving back to the community, and I agree. It is nice knowing the teachers were willing to take one for the team and give Lakewood a special gift this holiday season. One quote he heard was that "The teachers did not want Lakewood children to suffer during this down turn in the regional economy."

Special Christmas thank-you to Colleen Corrigan, president of the Lakewood Teacher's Association for the good deed.

.

[Bill Call]

When I asked what else happened he dropped the bombshell. "The teachers signed without raises, and administration did the same through 2012."

More after I can contact Dr. Madak or someone from the board.
"The teachers did not want Lakewood children to suffer during this down turn in the regional economy."

Special Christmas thank-you to Colleen Corrigan, president of the Lakewood Teacher's Association for the good deed.

.

By no raises do you mean no raises? Or do you mean that they will just get the 4% to 6% annual raises for time in service and continuting education? Over the course of a three year year contract those type of raises increase salaries by 12% to 20%. Only in government is a 20% raise considered taking one for the team.

How many millions of dollars were paid to get teachers to retire early? Do they have their own version of the DROP program where they can leave town with $500,000 in one lump sum payout plus their full pension?

[Gary Rice]

Teachers and other public employees have the hard won right to collective bargaining.

Whatever they, and a Board agree to, is what must be followed. The Board represents the public, and association leadership represents the teachers in these negotiations.

And of course, there are often salary steps in virtually all public school districts for each year spent teaching in a classroom, and also for whenever teachers achieve additional educational blocks of credit.

Not to receive compensation for those achievements would simply not make sense. In this country, you are compensated for your professional achievements, while working in that field.

Could anyone possibly suggest that a PhD not be paid more than an entry level teacher? Or that a 30 year teacher be paid the relatively hand-to-mouth wages of an entry level teacher?

With the "No Child Left Behind" law, teachers were also mandated to continue to achieve more and more educational training, so salaries therefore will continue to rise for experienced teachers. Though costly, buy-outs for experienced staff can often save big bucks in the long run.

Entry level teachers are relatively low paid, and undergo intense scrutiny until they have proven themselves.

The longer they work, generally the more they're paid, and they should be.

Anyone not feeling that way needs to teach a classroom for a few days.

As a retired teacher from another district, I won't comment on Lakewood's particular negotiated agreement.

I would only express my own appreciation to the Board and to the teacher's association for hammering out a difficult agreement in difficult times.

Oh yeah, I'd like to see a concrete example of some half-million dollar payout to a teacher....

Back to the banjo.

[marklingm]

From the front page of http://www.lakewoodobserver.com:

"Lakewood Teachers, Administrators Agree to Salary Freeze"

At its Dec. 21 meeting, the Lakewood Board of Education adopted a resolution to accept a two-year contract extension between the Board and the Lakewood Teachers Association that includes no base pay raises in the first year of the contract. The Board adopted a second resolution to accept similar concessions from its administrative team.

The renegotiation of the LTA contract, which was due to expire July 31, 2010, and the administrative contract were undertaken in an effort to help head off a looming financial crisis the district faces and to signal to the community, of which it will soon be asking to pass a levy, that the teachers and administrators are willing to share in the sacrifice in order to preserve current programming levels for students.

“We wanted to work out a contract that would be in the best interest of our district and our teachers,” said LTA president Colleen Corrigan. Corrigan emphasized that it was important to teachers that programming that has led to an Excellent rating by the State of Ohio remain intact.

Administrative representative William Wagner, principal of Lakewood High School, echoed Corrigan’s comments regarding preservation of the programming and the need for the community’s backing. “In order to ask for the community’s continued support, we recognized we needed to sacrifice,” Wagner told the Board.

Superintendent P. Joseph Madak said the agreements are significant because it will allow the district to “dedicate any new resources (raised from a levy) to programming as much as possible rather than going to salaries.”

The teachers’ agreement allows for a reopening of negotiations after the first year, places any employees who are laid off on a recall list for four years, gives laid off employees priority for substitute positions and allows for an early retirement incentive program if enough teachers sign up to make it cost effective for the district. All other terms of the original contract remain the same. The administrative contract includes the same terms except there will be no early retirement incentive program as it would not result in any savings for the district.

The district’s leadership team will continue to look for expense reductions as it prepares to ask the citizens of Lakewood to approve the first operating levy for the district in more than seven years. At its next meeting on Jan. 4, the Board will review the district’s five-year financial forecast and discuss millage options for a levy to be placed on the May ballot. It will also address how large of cuts will be needed even if the levy passes.

The Board members thanked the teachers and administrators for demonstrating their commitment to the district. “It’s gratifying that teachers and administrators of Lakewood step forward with this,” said Board president Edward Favre.

[Bill Call]

And of course, there are often salary steps in virtually all public school districts for each year spent teaching in a classroom, and also for whenever teachers achieve additional educational blocks of credit.

Just don't insult my intelligence by telling me that employees who are going to receive 8% raises over a 12 month period are "taking on for the team". Is demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars in payoffs to leave early also taking one for the team?

The Sun Post is reporting that the teachers have agreed to give up raises which is simply untrue. They have agreed to forgo COLA raises until after the levy. If the levy passes the contract negotiations will be reopened. Translation: Give us a headline today that says you gave up a raise and tomorrow you will get it all back.

No wonder 2010 will be the year of bankrupt cities, bankrupt states and bankrupt school districts.

[Gary Rice]

Bill,

For the record, you seem to be addressing me for a remark that someone else made.

But since you pulled my quote out, I'd better respond.

By the way, Merry Christmas to you and yours.

For those who might not know, Bill and I have gone 'round and 'round with educational issues, particularly as they apply to teachers' associations.

That does not mean that we disagree on everything we discuss, although it might seem that way at times. I even like Bill personally.

He cares, and he has an eye on the financial bottom line. That's always a good thing.

Still, as a retired teacher and the child of a teacher, I remember the "good old days" when teachers enjoyed very little in the way of either salaries or benefits. I remember many days of beans and cornbread while Dad struggled to teach while going back to college to improve himself.

When teachers won the collective bargaining wars, and were able to flex some muscle at the bargaining table, times got better for our family.

When I went into teaching, I too worked for better working conditions and benefits for my profession.

As for the point that Bill raised? I again reiterate that whatever decision was made, was done at the collective bargaining table. The Board and Lakewood teachers came to an agreement. Whatever that agreement was, it is a binding legal document, subject to review whenever the terms call for it.

Teachers are done with bringing in the morning coal buckets and teaching for starvation wages. We are professionals, and will always demand respect for our professional experience and educational advancements.

[Danielle Masters]

Each and every day I trust teachers which my children. They are an important part of my children's' lives and my life. Through the years many have become my friends. I see the hard work they do day in and day out. They in my opinion have one of those most important jobs there is. They do not merely educate our children, they love our children, they talk with our children, they laugh with our children, they cry with our children, they are an integral part of children's lives. I think people have this false assumption of what they do and the time and effort that goes into their profession. Teachers deserve our respect and they deserve a decent wage. They do not have some cushy easy job, they have an incredibly difficult job and I thank them for all they do and the love that they put into their professions.