I voted NO.
First, the more experienced teachers that provided me guidance and support are getting shafted. Somebody is going to get pissed enough to file a class action suit. Age discrimination comes to mind.
Second, I won't vote until I have a complete picture. The salary scale is still unavailable. You would think that someone in power would publish our salary scale. That way we can see how we are being given a 2% salary increase yet our "new" health care program will cost us more than that.
Third, it is expected that we are too tepid, timid, and weak to do anything BUT vote for it - "silent zombies" was the expression. Have we ever been given the actual vote COUNT?
Fourth, we are taken for granted by our district administration and association, THAT my friends is the deal breaker!
Mary Ellen? NO!
Yvonne? NO!
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This blog has been designed to give the teachers and employees of the Hillsborough County School District an outlet to vent, rant, and most importantly share information and suggestions about Superintendent Elia's plan to increase the number of teaching periods from 5 to 6 periods a day while reducing the planning periods from 2 to 1.
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- Trib Aug 22nd Elia Raise Article
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20 comments:
Great post Suzie.
A lack of respect is the bottom line and a barely disguised contempt that seeps out once someone becomes an administrator.
Had an administrator walk through last week and documented that maybe I was "harsh" with a kid. This lady completely misunderstood what she saw in her 1 minute 20 second visit to my room. My kids helped me to figure out what she saw and even they had to laugh.
Total lack of respect.
Its too bad that this bogus excuse for a contract will pass. They must laugh at the way we accept the meager pay and unfair treatment of the experienced teachers. They dont want us.
It has already passed. The voting is just a formality.
Uh...the salary scale is the same. You just move up one step.
Getting a bonus at the top is not "getting shafted." The top of the salary scale is just that.
The rising cost of health care is a national crisis. Ours has actually gone up less than many.
The vote count is open for viewing and the count is always announced. It is also available by simply picking up the phone and calling CTA.
Taken for granted by your association? Hah! Clearly the opposite is true.
By the way, it's GORHAM for school board, not GORMAN.
I voted "no" today!
ricky ricotta
Uh . . . Pick up the phone and call CTA? Are you kidding? Clearly teachers do not trust this cronism organization that calls itself a union.
They were sitting on their hands and looking the other way while high school went 6/7.
Why can't the % of money at the top of the scale be equal to what levels are getting? Oh, yeah, its the economy, stupid. Be grateful for your level while Elia gets bonuses for forcing principals to place students in AP classes.
Why doesn't CTA publicize that a nonvote is the same as a yes vote?
Why for years did CTA send out flyers begging teachers to join but refused to print just how much money would be taken out of each paycheck?
Why do CTA members harass, yes harass and use scare tactics on new teachers at new teacher orientation to get them to join the union?
Where can we find how much Jean and Yvonne and CTA staff make?
Call CTA. Uh . . . No thanks.
Am I signing my name anonymous? Uh . . .you bet!
"the salary scale is the same. You just move up one step."
So its NOT a 2% increase. Teachers are still asking: what level do I go to? I think I was on 6 last year.
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Getting a bonus at the top is not "getting shafted." The top of the salary scale is just that.
It is if it's less than 2% - AGAIN.
Does the "bonus" add on to the top so the salary starts a grand higher next year? or does it go away?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The rising cost of health care is a national crisis.
So why not be upfront on the philosophy of accepting 2% vs. no change in health care. It removes the "shell game" stigma.
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The vote count is open for viewing and the count is always announced. It is also available by simply picking up the phone and calling CTA.
When did they change the policy? I only got percentages - even when I was a member. Perhaps somebody can post the numbers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Not taken for granted? Where is the communication explaining why this is the best we can get?
Every step is 2%, so yes, it IS a 2% raise. You just go to the next level.
Are "steps" annual? Or do they follow another pattern?
I'm not positive I understand your question, but salary is negotiated annually. Everything, including steps, has to be negotiated every year, so nothing is automatic, including steps. If no step had been negotiated, everyone would have stayed on the same step as last year.
Why does the contract say "2007-2010" if it has to be renegotiated every year???
It is my understanding that the contract dates refer to the language and "paragraphs" in the contract. Remember the 300 minutes? THAT stuff. So the framework or basic contract remains intact unless otherwise negotiated.
This allows for for a more focused negotiation on certain items.
Salary is set every year. Note I said "set" because Gretchen walks in with her PowerPoint and essentially lets CTA know what is available for salaries per our wonderful legislature (sarcasm alert).
This just in from Friday's Professional Day:
If you aren't a member of CTA, you cannot be a member of a textbook adoption committee or an exam committee or any committee that is important.
Is that legal? It certainly is not ethical. Fairness and equity--not in this district.
Question: How is Mrs. Elia's AP bonus computed? There are 27,000+ students enrolled in AP courses in Hillsborough. How much money is that for Mrs. Elia?
Of course CTA appoints teacher members of district committees per the contract. It's completely legal, ethical and fair.
Go teach in New Jersey. There you will pay the union whether you are a member or not. Here, you aren't paying anything, but you have the nerve to whine because you don't get the benefits of membership?
Puh-leeze.
Jeez Rickee. In previous posts YOU ASKED for instances just like this and when someone gives you hard facts you demean and belittle the info they provide.
Legal? probably.
Ethical? only if you believe that someone with enough guts NOT to belong to an organization must be too stupid to have an opinion on exams, textbooks, etc.
Fair? only if you need the dues.
Benefits? No thanks.
http://www.nea.org/
Average Salaries ($) of Public School Teachers, 2004-05
5 NEW JERSEY 56,682
32 FLORIDA 41,590
The cost of living in Paramus, NJ is 11.9% higher than in Tampa, FL. Therefore, you would have to earn a salary of $46,543 to maintain your current standard of living.
So how much in dues would the extra $10K cost a year? ($46,5 - $56,6)
The retired teachers who moved down here are doing nicely and sound like they have better benefits. Of course, I never actually asked them exactly how much since Mom taught me better. The Jersey unions in general are pretty aggressive negotiators and had some definite opinions on how we do things here. But let's keep the discussion local.
NO. Do NOT keep the discussion local. Look at our brothers to the north. Look at the strength of their unions. Ask yourself if they are more deserving than us. What makes them better than us? Nothing! They are simply willing to stick up for themselves. We will continue to get the short end of the stick until we are also willing to speak out.
I'm not a Hills teacher, but I agree with the suggestion to not keep it local. Why should you accept that teachers in Florida be treated with less respect and given less compensation than teachers in other states?
But do 'keep it local' in this regard:
We're a Right to Work State. That has been used as an excuse for weak teachers' unions.
But the unions that represent other professions within this state must also function within the Right to Work framework.
Are their employees dealt the same hand as teachers, or are teachers unique in their (lack of adequate) representation?
Inquiring Minds want to know.
To Anonymous_10/19@7:38
The superintendents bonus is tiered on multiple facets of AP placement based on enrollment gains over the previous year within targeted groupings (Hispanic, African American, all students). There is very little that has to do with the performance of AP students in the calculation.
I have information that the superintendents bonus is exptected to be as high as $80K this year! The shame of it.
Talk about inflating numbers!
My school is spending SIT $$$ to create and pay an AP coordinator to beat the bushes and increase the number of AP students.
No mention of qualifying other than to be a minority!
This is just pressure from the district to pad Elia's wallet!!!
Is there nobody left to put a stop to diluting the AP curriculum in the name of money?
Anon Oct 14 8:23 PM—
I have the steps-to-level chart and the salary schedule posted in the sidebar here.
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