Letter: Teachers have sacrificed, but not as much as others
Published: Wednesday, September 23,
2009 5:42 PM EDT
To the Editor:
In response to the upcoming levy request, there has been
much banter as to relationship between teacher pay and
teachers being valued in our community. Just because many
feel that teachers should be subject to shared sacrifice
does not mean that we don't value them. Personally, I love
the teachers at my kid's school. They've been first rate.
I also see what has happened elsewhere. Pay cuts, layoffs
and furloughs are the order of the day. State workers (I'm
one) have had four years of pay freezes -- that's no cost of
living adjustments and no steps -- over a nine-year period
along with 10 furlough days, for example. Social Security
payments to our retirees will be frozen in 2010 and perhaps
2011. Others I've talked to have been laid off and been
subjected to pay cuts of as much as 20 percent!
Recently, it was agreed upon that teachers will not have a
COLA in 2011-12. Step increases will continue.
Obviously, this is a sacrifice, and is much appreciated, to
be sure; however, honestly, it falls far short of the
"shared" variety when compared to the examples I've shown. I
would like to see a true pay freeze, COLAs and steps, for
two years. Then we can insert the word shared before
sacrifice.
Letter: Voting down levy won't send
message about teacher pay
Published:
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 5:42 PM
EDT
To the Editor:
Voting against a school levy because you
are unhappy about teacher compensation
is like kicking your dog when something
bad happens at work. It might feel good
to take out your frustration, but it
does not accomplish much and isn't fair
to the dog.
Regardless of whether you vote for or
against the levy, teacher compensation
won't change until there is a new
contract in 2011-2012. So I ask those
who oppose the levy based on their
objections to teacher compensation:
"What exactly is accomplished by failing
the levy if there is no effect on
teacher compensation?"
The likely answer is, "To send a message
to the board!" Unfortunately, that
message is several years too early -- or
too late -- and muddled by an
anti-tax/anti-union subtext. If one
wants to "send a message to the board"
about teacher compensation, one needs to
participate in the process when the next
contract is negotiated.
The board has less negotiating leverage
on this issue than you might think if
the only people who are organized and
participate in the process are the
teachers. If for every one teacher who
comes to a board meeting and argues for
a raise, there are two taxpayers saying
"no," I am sure it will show in the
resulting contract. If we want the board
to have "backbone," we have to support
them -- or run ourselves.
Voting against a school levy to make a
statement about teacher compensation is
ineffective, and therefore irrational.
The only thing that changes if we fail a
levy is we fire our younger teacher
staff, in whom we have made a
substantial training investment; give
our kids have fewer educational options;
and roil the community. For these
reasons, communities that fail school
levies are unattractive to young
families who are willing to shoulder the
tax burden and are the lifeblood of a
vibrant community.
I encourage those who may be undecided
to consider the collateral damage that
would result from a failed levy, take
the long view, and vote for the levy.
Letter: Schools
cannot be run like a
business as some suggest
Published:
Wednesday, September
23, 2009 5:42 PM EDT
To the Editor:
There has been a lot
of discussion about
school funding,
particularly in this
economic climate.
One of the common
phrases heard is,
"If I ran my
business like they
run the schools, I'd
be bankrupt."
Exactly. If a
business had to deal
with the variables
that occur in
education, I would
be amazed that
anyone would
succeed.
Imagine you have a
business where your
raw material, or
"widget," doesn't
come to you in a
pure form. What I
mean by this is that
all of your widgets
are different,
shaped by a process,
which can range from
extremely flawed to
almost perfect.
Then, your widgets
might have basic
defects or
disabilities.
Now, as you have
limited resources,
and because you have
so many widgets to
deal with, your
manufacturing
process has to be
essentially uniform,
although you try as
best you can to
modify the process
for the widgets that
need extra help. You
try to have overtime
home workers help
shape the widgets,
but you don't really
have any control
over their
production.
You also have to
deal with unfunded
government
regulations that
require you to
provide special
services for your
struggling widgets.
Finally, you have no
ability to "float a
loan" to help you
through particularly
tough times because
you are required by
law to always
operate in the
black. This is true
even though you have
no control over your
revenue stream and
it can vary
unpredictably.
To make things even
more interesting,
you are required to
ask people, who may
not even have or
want widgets, for
money every couple
of years just so you
can produce the best
quality widgets you
can.
Sound tough? Now
substitute children
for widgets, and you
have our current
educational system.
We want to provide
the best for our
children, and in
order to do that, we
must remember this
is not a business
and they are not
widgets. We need to
open our minds,
realize the
obstacles that exist
and help our
educators shape the
next generation.
They are our future.
Letter:
Community
has
long
been
focused
on
good
education
Published: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 5:42 PM EDT
To the Editor:
The recent uproar in our community regarding the school budget cuts, levy proposals and criticisms has prompted me to write to you with the intention of bringing together a fractured community.
As a longtime Worthington resident, graduate of the district and current parent of three Worthington schools students, I care deeply about a community that has shaped me and continues to shape my family. We are a community bound by a common thread of shared commitment to education, a commitment so deep and true that our desire to educate our kids in Worthington -- not Powell or Dublin or Arlington -- transcends the less honorable conveniences and trivialities one might find elsewhere.
What have the Worthington schools done for me? Let me share a few concrete illustrations. First, the Worthington schools provided me with the most excellent teachers available, teachers whose wisdom and knowledge continue to resonate with me every single day -- as a working professional, wife, and parent. Teachers like Gail Gay, Alan Fuller and Jim VanArsdale taught me that I could get away with nothing less than 100 percent. Because of teachers like these, I discovered what my 100 percent is.
Second, the Worthington schools now provide my three daughters with an education that is second to none. Teachers like Joyce Burmester, Brian Morgan, Greg Ross, Janet Lanka, Tim Dove and Lori Gustina continue to set the bar high for my girls every day. These teachers accept nothing but 100 percent -- and the tradition continues.
Perhaps not so ironically, the Worthington schools have always been a community in which people can openly express their criticisms of it, a true indicator of our community's strength and security. In this democratic spirit, I offer 30 years of experience as one of Worthington's own. Those 30 years in Worthington have taught me some of the most important values in life: responsibility, pride and a deep commitment to education.
Let's continue the tradition in our community by supporting the school levy in November and by recognizing how fortunate we are to live in Worthington.