LAUSD chief tells unions to accept pay cuts, furloughs, or face...

Why not ask everyone to take a 50% cut in pay and work for min wage

Well it's better than being homeless and on the street. I understand the frustration, but isn't a furlough or pay cut better than no wage at all. Even if you had min. wage, it's better than nothing, yes you would have to adjust but ask a homeless person would he take your job at 50&.
Be thankful and suck it up!

B Grateful wrote:

Well it's better than being homeless and on the street. I understand the frustration, but isn't a furlough or pay cut better than no wage at all. Even if you had min. wage, it's better than nothing, yes you would have to adjust but ask a homeless person would he take your job at 50&.
Be thankful and suck it up!

Why would a teacher take minimum wage for their job when they could get more working somewhere else? Furlough days are tolerable - but not a 12% cut to salary.

Part of the problem is that LAUSD teachers have had a total of about a 4% raise over the past 6 years or so, far less than most workers get in a year or two. They're already paid far lower than most jobs with comparable challenges. Moves like this will continue to push talented people away from teaching, continuing the downward spiral the public schools are in now...I fear for our kids...

Having not had a COLA adjustment in 3 years now they want us to take a 12% cut--it just shows you the black and white thought process of Cortines. Either/Or. How about a think tank of teachers and community leaders to come up with a better solution? Nah; too logical! Here's an ide: How about Cortines giving up a portion of his bloated salary, as well as other administrators who make 3x what teachers make. Let teachers assume more responsibility and keep their hard-earned pay.For every administrator we could hire at least teachers.Have parent volunteers do some administrative work. Inagine parents as Deans--Hey, Bobby, don't screw up because your Dad is the Dean this week!

My wife is part of LAUSD and I myself went through LAUSD schools growing up. the part of this that frustrates me the most is that the money provided to school districts are tax monies and also federal funds. All district funds and business should be available to the public to see. we provide this money through taxes and bonds through our cities. This is not a privately run business. The problem is that it is a government run business, so the public just pays and pays without any answers I want to see where the money is going!! why is the district so broke?? there have been 4-5 bonds approved within the last 7-10 years and taxes keep going up!! My wife works her butt off and we spend out of our pocket for items that should be provided. We are grateful, but still frustrated

Why don't you guys starting cutting from the TOP? You get paid alot of money to mess up the state budget and always want to give the most helpful walking papers. Really, what decisions are being made that justify how much you get paid?

"Even in 1940, Local 13 (BSEIU) in Toledo called a 12 percent pay cut a "major victory," as the local school board had proposed a reduction of 80 percent." The quote is from Public Workers: Government Employee Unions, the Law, and the State, 1900-1962 by Joseph Slater Pg. 101

He also wrote that from 1927 to 1939 state expenditures on schools as a portion of the total expenditures dropped from 14.5% to 10.9%.

I found something I highlighted years ago that I had long forgotten. From an econ textbook called The Economic Way of Thinking (1991) by Paul Heyne page 503

"Whether you decide it is a consequence or a coincidence, the fact remains that our most rapid inflation and highest unemployment rates since WWII appeared after both major political parties had committed themselves to fine-tuning of the economy through aggregate-demand management."

You know, it looks to me like the best overall strategy for teachers and their unions is to march, protest and organize to get the government to pursue supply side policies to expand the economy as quickly as possible so that revenue goes up and the punishment ends. Am I dreaming?

If you know anyone considering a job in education advise them to put their energy in a different direction. If you're working a your credential GET OUT NOW! My son says he wants to be a teacher and I told him NO! How can anyone buy a home and support a family on this kind of salary and uncertainty? BTW, both me and my husband are in education. I am working p/t, no benefits and my husband had his time and salary reduced by about 20% already.

Time for NEW leadership in both union AND Superintendent's office!
Too many qualified people with creaive ideas. Get the old military regime out...give equity, more females, mothers, Ecologists, Environmentalists, Artists and more.
Save money on counseling and remediation, BUILD arts don't eliminate them....get some new people in charge. Do you know when I was getting my Masters in Education after 8 years they considered my past coursework obsolete and required me to retake 9 graduate course I had A's in only because i'd fled domestic violence and the unjust courts victimized me as well financially?
The union is USELS!!!
USELESS! people, we are in trouble!
Was handcuffed and arrested by my principal ordered by Corines, locked up, drugged, they lied to my family.
None in the union NOR Scholl Board will help me return and a PEDIATRICIAN is responsible named Dr Rosa Mercado.
Get them ALL out they are evil and demonic!
They are terroristic and negligent.
They live good and the children suffer because of them.
Make them pay,
Make them pay back the money they had to pay off Retired Admiral Brewer.
Make the board members and union members TA the all ay Kindergarten teachers.
They are padding their pockets with Charter Schools and you all just sit and let them treat professional hard working teachers like slaves!
What message are you sending the youth NOW!
A pediatrician hiding documents about student health...it's a HUGE cover up!
My uncle a Reverend aclled the Union after LAUSD ad LAPD had me falsely arrested and tortured at the instruction of the individual I was exposing for violating civil and human rights of students for their pet projects in technology.
Purchase instruments, percussion, violins, cellos, basses, timpani, oil paint, music stands, music, quality instructors.

Cortines is a result of an educational system devoid of the arts.
Duffy too!
I have filed a formal complaint, hope you will too!
This is a travesty and the Mayor is just as much to blame for this!
FOCUS
For Our Children United Strong
PEACE
Positive Education Always Corrects Errors
PEACE
Please Educate All Children Everywhere
No more moey for killing, give youth scholarships.....sink this big UGLY ship!!!!!

A LIE CANNOT LIVE!!!!

Wow, afraid to break the rhythm and busy on other vital work, please accept my apologies for poor typing! For two months I have been harassed by a District I have raised millions of dollars for and proven an exemplary student and teacher. Exposing a principal abusing power when more ar threatened is NOT the envirnoment we want for our students who inevitably are feeling the pinch of tired and frustrated teachers.
Get rid of Duffy, yesterday was too late!
There are so many court cases, the whole rocket will explode.
Too much power is dangerous, that's why lightbulbs break.
Yes, tax payers money and they are all living too good while children and families suffer.
So many programs that could make a positive difference and HAE are being cut by inexperienced people who spent little time on the day to day with the children we serve.
The District has broken so many laws regarding the rights of Special Education students and gets away with it 'because it can'.
More schools or more prisons?
Question, how high will you have to build your locking gates when you and Duffy get out of bed, Ramon?
You may not be in bed together but the whole darned city is F***ing around and the children and rape victims are paying the price.
Stop f###ing around start focusing on the children
CHILDREN FIRST!
Gt someone in there that can do that!
I CAN, been in the trenches 27 years.
Raised two brilliant children I had to get OUT of LAUSD!
Clean house from the top DOWN!!!!
Call Boxer and Feinstein, they could recommend someone inspiring I'm sure!

http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page...

Contines said October 24, not even three weeks ago, "Music reduces dropout rates and increases graduation rates in Los Angeles as soon as you put an instrument in a student’s hand. Music and the arts are essential for a well-rounded education." on the district website.
Is he on drugs like most of LAUSD High School students are?
No wonder they must self-medicate!
When kids do drugs it's NOT always THEIR fault....investigate FULLY!
Go to the schools and spend time following a prospective college student around.
The stories abou Hamilton High School from my daughter and her teachers were more terrifying than those R and PG-13 rated horror films Hollywood is permitted to sell during prime time as an infommercial.
Stop selling killing, start teaching healing.
Now he's saying cut those programs first, what gives?
Get someone with FOCUS and VISION.
No more gobbledy gook, CHILDREN FIRST!!!

All this fighting between employees and School District Officials has resulted from the State cutting education funding far more than its share of the State Budget. Those idiots in Sacramento know public schools are the easiest to cut so they do it. They don't cut welfare for the lazy or free medical service for all regardless of the waste and fraud in county hospitals. They don't cut the prison system, God forbid the poor wretched prisoners suffer. No, these retards in the Governor's office and Legislature attack public education - cuts are 50% to Education when Education makes up 40% of the budget. No other program sustains these cuts. But what do the unions do? Instead of going after the legislature that union dues pay for, the go after individual school districts and would rather they be bankrupted than give in at all. These are tough times people. People in the private sector know this but unions don't care. All they care about is dues from employees, period. Lose employees, lose dues. The Union's fight is irresponsible because no matter what happens, the worthless union officials keep their job but the rank and file teachers and other support staff turn a blind eye to that. Public Education is the single most important function a State provides but those morons in Sacramento don't care. They cut and let the 1,000 public school districts fight their battle for them. Vote them all out and replace them with individuals who put California's priorities first - Education, Emergency Services for disasters, Police and Fire. All the rest is fluff...

Concerned wrote:

Part of the problem is that LAUSD teachers have had a total of about a 4% raise over the past 6 years or so, far less than most workers get in a year or two. They're already paid far lower than most jobs with comparable challenges. Moves like this will continue to push talented people away from teaching, continuing the downward spiral the public schools are in now...I fear for our kids...

Three of us in my family are educators... two of us are getting out. The classroom is no longer a fun place to be. You cannot believe the amount of crap we have to put up with! I don't know who is raising these kids...maybe it's the dog or the cat. These kids have no sense of self control. It is often an ugly scene. Did you know that some of our classes can have up to 45 students?!? in high school!! And now Cortines wants to cut our pay? They cut it back in the early 90's and we never got caught up again. Sure our pay is ok and our benefits are great, but is it really worth the headache and heartache we have to deal with on a daily basis? I DO NOT THINK SO!!

getting out wrote:

<quoted text>
Three of us in my family are educators... two of us are getting out. The classroom is no longer a fun place to be. You cannot believe the amount of crap we have to put up with! I don't know who is raising these kids...maybe it's the dog or the cat. These kids have no sense of self control. It is often an ugly scene. Did you know that some of our classes can have up to 45 students?!? in high school!! And now Cortines wants to cut our pay? They cut it back in the early 90's and we never got caught up again. Sure our pay is ok and our benefits are great, but is it really worth the headache and heartache we have to deal with on a daily basis? I DO NOT THINK SO!!

Are you one of the two? You're bailing out in a time of double digit unemployment? And you are going to do what? I have seen co-workers in the past get fed up with the work and the other employees, especially with their supervisors. They would claim they wanted to do something else, so they left. Those quitting for another job came out OK, in the long term. Those who had nothing lined up failed miserably and pretty much ruined their economic lives.

Let me get this straight: LAUSD has a budget deficit the size of the City of LA's? Really?? How did that happen? I doubt the teachers and employees had much to do with the out of control spending, but THEY are the ones who may have to take furloughs and/or paycuts? For starters, Ramon Cortines and his administrative employees should lead by example and take significant paycuts from their huge salaries first.

We have to share with people this situation. Not only one person's favor.
Other people need to survie with their family.
Sincerely,

What kinds of pay cuts are the administrators taking? The pay scale is always top heavy in regard to the district's top administrators ( superintendants, principals etc). Now if they were to take pay cuts so that their salaries were more in line with the salaries of teachers and support staff, there would probably be no lay offs especially if furlough days were incorporated into the mix.

More LAUSD Kabuki theatre...the wildly inflated # of RIF notices...the Unions will then break out the red shirts and the chants/protests around Beaudry...and finally, after all the crying and wailing, a few hundred layoffs max...the DBreeze shouldn't even report on this nonsense.

Next up: look for a massive parcell tax proposal to pay for bloated salaries/pensions/beaurocracy.

Anna, your arguments and position earns confusion as your writing indicates that you may have not taken you lithium, prozac, or other brain medications that would allow you to write more clearly.

But whatever you situation is, nothing can really be done for our schools and the children who are supposed to learn in them until we all realize that the problems we have been facing for years is bad now and can only get worse.

The root cause for all of these problems was initiated when voters approved Proposition 13 in 1978, which set a cap on property taxes and thereby also set caps on school funding.

It will take much smarter folks than all of us commenting here to try and find resolution to the basic problem.

No amount of folks here illegally returning to their home countries will solve the problems either.

When the need is always greater than the supply, things will never get fixed.