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A small number of teachers did stay and fielded many
questions from parents and students, but would or could not actually
provide any answers. What was stated was they were concerned with
the increase in class sizes over the past few years and the issues
were not about salary increases. A handout was provided with teacher
salary steps and lanes and a breakdown of other pertinent facts. I
have attached a copy of that handout.
In fairness, the majority
(I think) of teachers are committed as individuals to what is best
for our children. The issue is with the national, state and local
teachers unions whose sole purpose, as is any union, is to get the
most benefit for the least amount of work and to protect their
members from accountability.
The issue is about a salary
increase and to use children as pawns in contract negotiations and
refuse to complete work is reprehensible. This has been going on
for approaching 2 years now and has to stop.
What bothers me and
others is these teachers are teaching our children every day, and
are not being honest in their words and actions. What a teachable
moment for our children in how not to act when you don't get your
way.
Here are several misstatements in the KPTA post:
KPTA:
Without delving into specifics, the King Philip Teachers Association
is not seeking a 28% salary increase.
Response: In fact a 28%
salary increase was the starting negotiation in fall of 2008. It
may not be now, but that is very misleading.
KPTA: The major
sticking point of the negotiations does not revolve around teacher
salary increases.
Response: In fact changes to the steps and
lanes are how teachers are paid and ARE A SALARY INCREASE unless
we are talking of decreasing the step and lane amounts.
KPTA:
Teachers in Massachusetts public schools are paid based on their
experience and their level of educational attainment. In virtually
all Massachusetts school districts, including the towns of Wrentham,
Norfolk and Plainville, the teachers' salary schedule is made up
of a number of steps or ``increments'' (each step representing a
year of successful performance) and a number of columns or ``lanes''
(each lane representing a different educational attainment). Once
a teacher reaches maximum at step, there are no more salary-schedule
step increases for the rest of his or her career.
Response:
Each step represents a year of time,
NOT a year of successful
performance. There are no performance reviews each year.
An
increase is guaranteed each year.
KPTA: Although the school
committee recently voted to fund a single year's lane change, across
the rest of the state these changes are a standard part of teacher
contracts. The King Philip Regional School District would be one
of the very few, if any, teacher contracts that did not include
predictable movement on steps and lanes. The resulting negative
reputation would destroy our ability to attract quality teachers
to come work in this district for years to come - well after the
current economic slowdown has passed. This would decimate the
long-term quality of education provided and that is an unacceptable
cost with long-term negative consequences.
Response: King Philip
is not unique or insulated into what is happening in the local and
national economy. Many other towns in Massachusetts and state
employees have been laid off or have had their salaries cut including
teachers.
KPTA: We know that you and other parents agree that
our students deserve high quality teachers.
Response: We do.
High quality teachers do not use children as pawns in contract
negotiations. Grow up and do your job or and if you are not happy
with your current employment, maybe you should look elsewhere.
We
all know the KP teachers are not happy as they are used to getting
an automatic increase every year. The issue is that there is no
money in the district towns or anywhere to fund such raises at this
time in this economy. If raises were to be approved, teacher layoffs
to the most recent hires would need to be made to fund them. This
would increase class sizes as well. This is certainly not in the
best interest of the ``Children'' or the ``Staff''.
One source
of funding that would free up approximately $200 million dollars
statewide to fund teachers, public safety and other municipal
services is to allow municipalities to join the state insurance
plan. In this state by law, to accomplish this 70% of public unions
MUST approve this as part of collective bargaining. Again, even
though this would free up money and cost no one (including union
members) but insurance company's profits, the unions will not even
allow this to come up for a vote.
The Republicans have tried
to get a law passed to not allow unions such power, but the Democratic
leadership including Governor Deval Patrick refused to bring this
issue up for a vote as recently as several months ago. No wonder
almost every public service union in Massachusetts is supporting
Governor Patrick and the Democratic Party.
We have many structural
problems in Massachusetts, but the politically entrenched unions
and the Democratic politicians will not even discuss them much less
act in the public interest. This is exactly what you get when you
have one party rule for so long.
Please consider this when you
go to the polls next week. Are Charlie Baker and the Republican
Party a panacea for all our problems? No but to continue down the
path of one party rule is ludicrous.
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