Three Hundred Greece Teachers Storm Mtg. To Protest 4.2% Raises
The Greece Post had an interesting article (thank you Loretta) about 300 teachers showing up at a school board meeting. They were upset that they had been working without a contract for a couple of years. According to the Post:
About 200 crammed into Apollo Middle School’s third-floor during the meeting. More than 100 waited outside the school after being turned away by district security because of fire code, security guards said. The doors to the third floor were reportedly locked as the number of people waiting to get in increased. The meeting room and overflow room filled so quickly that some teachers who said they arrived around 6 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. meeting couldn’t even get up to the third floor.
300 teachers turning out — they really must be getting the short end of the stick. What else could possibly explain the huge number?
But wait a minute. We live in New York. The place were the teachers union spend more money lobbying than anyone in Albany. What in the world is going on? The article states they have been working without a contract — that must mean they haven’t been getting raises, right?
Well no, not really.
Greece Central’s teachers haven’t had a new contract since 2004. But they’re still getting raises under the Taylor Law, which says that if a district doesn’t renew a contract, the most current one continues. Greece’s teachers’ contract ran from 2004-2006. How much each teacher gets depends on years of service, but the average annual increase is 4.2 percent.
According to the 2004-06 contract, the annual salary for a teacher with one year of experience is $35,000. Greece teachers get at least 85 percent of their health insurance paid for by the district, which pays 90 percent of the premium for new hires.
4.2 % increases for the last two years? 90 percent of your health insurance paid by the district (that’s for new hires — one would assume those who been there awhile get 100% paid)? Oh, don’t forget the very generous, taxpayer funded, defined benefit pension system. And they are protesting? 300 people?
One simple question. I know you aren’t doing your job “for the children”, but how much of a raise did you get the last two years? How much of your health insurance does your employer cover? I’d bet it’s not 90 or 100% And how about you pension plan — you probably don’t have one.
This is unbelievable. These teachers need to get in touch with reality. The taxpayers are at their limit — I don’t think they are going to feel sorry for these public employees looking for big raises. We all are paying more for everything.
Suck it up and try to get by on 4.2% a year. Most of us would gladly trade jobs with you.
4 Responses to “Three Hundred Greece Teachers Storm Mtg. To Protest 4.2% Raises”
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Cincy
I hope these teachers didn’t read the post about the New York State controller’s friends getting huge raises
Something needs to be done about the GCSD. They need to get their stuff together. I’m glad I wouldn’t have to send my kids there. I really hope that the two new members of the school board will be able to help further a turn-around of a once proud school district.
Cincinnatus, perhaps by not negotiating with the school district, the Union may think that they can get a better deal at 4.2% with the economy being so bad right now.
Uhm… I make quite a bit more than that with my 4 year degree. Which is a good thing, because I had to pay off my college loans from all those years of college before I could afford to buy a house.
So, yeah, I can imagine someone trying to pay off 6 years of college loans, with a masters degree in teaching (which is required by NY law), wanting more money. And I can imagine they want reimbursement for the classes they have to continue to take to re-qualify for their teaching certificate every 3 years too.
You know nothing about teachers apparently. Nothing about paying back $40K+ in loans, on top of a mortgage, and probably a car payment, while trying to start or raise a family, all on $35K a year? It’s not easy… I know several teachers in this boat, and wouldn’t trade my degree for theirs if they paid me.
And lets not get into the fact that you’re dealing with kids all day, 2/3 of which don’t want to be there. Then add that they (and often their parents) don’t give a crap about anyone but themselves, and have terrible attitudes. Also many are violent, so much so that many schools have metal detectors and armed guards in the hallways these days.
So why do they teach? Certainly not for the money, I’ll tell you that right now. Most could (and do) jump ship and teach at a college or university. Double their salary, and deal with adults that at least want to be in class, who wouldn’t want that? The ones that remain either can’t jump because they are living hand to mouth and can’t take the hickup, or because they enjoy teaching kids. They’re in it for those one or two promising students that they see and hope they can make a difference for.
Sorry Woody. But I know people who make less than that and have to pay loans back, car payments, home mortgages and feed their children AND could lose their job any day.
I also know retired teachers who are making $60k+ a year on their pensions.
No one else I know gets 4+% raises every single year or higher and complains about it.
While many do it for the love of the profession, many also do it for the good pay, guaranteed raises, awesome benefits and a really good pension that they’ll never have to worry about losing.
It’s not all warm and fuzzy.
“We don’t hate you Woody or anyone else and we’re not a hate site.”