CUSD wants pay cut for teachers

of course the teachers will accept this because they all took this job to help kids .......yah sure!

"CUSD wants us to immediately negotiate proposals which call for huge salary sacrifices on our part with 'no intent of restoring earnings lost'," says the statement that is posted over the names of the union's negotiating committee, James Williams, Greg Frank, Kevin Morretti, Kurt Rix, Diane Deadmond and Jen Flory."

It is that or a state take over. The state will surely void CUTA contracts and cut their pay. BECAUSE THAT IS THE PROBLEM. Paying the teachers too much is the mismanagement. I love the "no intent of restoring earnings lost". Yep, that's right, they are in trouble because they have to pay you too much. They don't have the money now and will not have it in the future. Putting off how they were going to cover CUTA pay raises until a future date, counting on budget increases that never came is what got CUSD in trouble.

Ah heck, why not fire all of the lower paid teachers that have less seniority until they can make payroll? Sound good?

As long as we are being selfish, I personally want every dime I paid on the bond to build the Canyon View High School back.

No one likes a pay-cut but it happens in the private sector all the time.

I think the Charter schools are a great ideal as long as they can keep the unions out it may be the best way to resolve this budget mess

"As long as we are being selfish, I personally want every dime I paid on the bond to build the Canyon View High School back."

I will second that.

Sure, cut teachers pay - a math teacher at chico High makes over $80,000 - that's excessive, period.

Whatever happened to Staley's offer of a 3 percent cut for herself? Frankly, I think a 5 percent cut for all CSUS staff making over $75,000 would be more appropriate. And maybe a 7 percent cut for those over $95,000. Most of the principals are making well over $100,000. That is crazy.

In terms of school revenue California schools get just over $10,000 per pupil per year.

So in a class of 25 students (more likely 30) each classroom generates $250,000 per year. Even after benefits it is hard to imagine that a teacher makes $100,000 but assume they do. So that leaves $150,000 per classroom. A K-6 school usually has at least 14 classroom or after teacher salaries that leaves $2,100,000 for non-teacher expenses for that school.

So principal, office staff, maintenance for $2,100,000 a year, I can't see why there is money left over. For example why does every K-6 need a principal full time? A principal should be able to move from school to school (at least two schools per principal) especially since the admins and vice principals do a lot of work. Even then why have a vice principal? There are a lot of ways to keep costs down and have keep the level education high when you look at the amount of money coming in per school.

Country-Boy wrote:

In terms of school revenue California schools get just over $10,000 per pupil per year.
So in a class of 25 students (more likely 30) each classroom generates $250,000 per year. Even after benefits it is hard to imagine that a teacher makes $100,000 but assume they do. So that leaves $150,000 per classroom. A K-6 school usually has at least 14 classroom or after teacher salaries that leaves $2,100,000 for non-teacher expenses for that school.
So principal, office staff, maintenance for $2,100,000 a year, I can't see why there is money left over. For example why does every K-6 need a principal full time? A principal should be able to move from school to school (at least two schools per principal) especially since the admins and vice principals do a lot of work. Even then why have a vice principal? There are a lot of ways to keep costs down and have keep the level education high when you look at the amount of money coming in per school.

there is this programcalled special education that requireslots of money, that is ,andated by state and federal gov't. They mandate it, but pay for about 35-40%. Where does the rest of the money come from?
Yes..the regular education budget.
any more questions?

One could make a good argument against having a superintendent. We have a terrible one who spends most of her time drinking coffee and writing a weekly memo that is really done by other people. They pay this absolute moron $180,000 a year. It's almost unbelievable and I liken it to the gov't buying hammers for $10,000. We have a position we don't need, staffed by someone who does nothing, and we pay her $180,000. Then the district hires an assistant superintendent who runs our personnel department that any teacher who ever had him as a psychologist could have told them would not work out either. Because of their incompetence, you want the troops to take a pay cut.

Here's CUTA's latest membership posting. Hey boys and girls, the parties over. This will be an interesting game of 'chicken'. I'll bet on the state taking over and voiding all contracts.

Bargaining Update

October 29, 2009

Thanks to all who filled out and returned the bargaining surveys. The bargaining team bases its actions on your responses. This promises to be a particularly difficult year for a host of reasons. Last year the District moved as quickly as it could to declare impasse and the option to unilaterally implement whatever it wanted. Coupled with the fact that they have declared their intent to let the ENTIRE contract expire, there is every reason to believe that we will have to fight hard to preserve what we have.



While CUSD only ratified the tentative agreement on September 23, they have accused CUTA of unlawfully refusing to negotiate. Never mind that the law requires both sides to present their proposal publicly before negotiations begin or that our contract stipulates the process and protocol for bargaining. CUSD want us to immediately negotiate proposals which call for huge salary sacrifices on our part with “no intent of restoring earnings lost”. They are insisting that teachers pony up $3.88 million in what CUSD characterizes as our “fair share” of their fiscal mismanagement and misplaced priorities. In spite of the fact that you just voted to save CUSD $1.7 million by accepting more deductibles and copays on your health insurance, they want you and your family to make more sacrifices and they want it now.



During the next several weeks, CUTA leaders will be meeting with you at your school site to explain the ramifications of the contract expiration and what we can do to protect ourselves. We urge all unit members to attend.
James Williams, Chair Greg Frank

Kevin Morretti Kurt Rix

Diane Deadmond Jen Flory

here we go again wrote:

<quoted text>
there is this programcalled special education that requireslots of money, that is ,andated by state and federal gov't. They mandate it, but pay for about 35-40%. Where does the rest of the money come from?
Yes..the regular education budget.
any more questions?

here we go again wrote:

<quoted text>
there is this programcalled special education that requireslots of money, that is ,andated by state and federal gov't. They mandate it, but pay for about 35-40%. Where does the rest of the money come from?
Yes..the regular education budget.
any more questions?

Oh, Bob Feaster, you really want us to believe that your and Kelly's mismanagement accounts for nothing? If what you are saying is true, every school district has those costs and look at the ones who are in the same boat as we are. You can try that strategy all you want, but no one believes you anymore because you have no credibility. We have been lied to for so long and now you resort to doing it again. You have made so many mistakes in staffing and negotiating that it has cost us millions. If a teacher messed up as often as you and Kelly have, we would have been removed for incompetence.

Just in the last month, you brought back positions that you didn't have to. We have roving math specialists for a program that is Math Lands personified. We brought back activity positions that were truly elective. We added sections that weren't critical. We have vice principals that we could do without. All of these can be cut before you ask us to pay for your mistakes. Do you really think you and Kelly deserve the salary you get when you go to work after teachers do and leave before us? Let's discuss cutting your salaries to $30,000 a year. We would vote overwhelmingly that you don't deserve a penny more. How about giving the county the special ed services back that you desperately wanted? You want to talk costly mistakes? No you don't, do you?

As much as i believe that the admin level waste is the vast majority of the current problem, the teacher's union is just going to make things worse. Join the real world people. You are vastly overpaid for the cost of living in Chico.(my wife is a teacher and would agree) Normal people are taking pay cuts, and reductions in nearly every business.

Just because you have a union does not make sense to avoid this. Contracted COLA's are great in prosperous times to make sure you keep up, but in downturns, automatic pay increase must be frozen.

The union has this attitude that they hang on to these COLA's. Since we didnt get them last year, you now should get a double cola this year and on and on. I am assuming that is what is being referred to as "“no intent of restoring earnings lost”. If we get COLA's as cost of living increases when cost of living gets more expensive, perhaps you should get decreases when cost of living decreases...

I firmly believed that money is mismanaged in California overall. But unions are a big piece of the problem.

CG

Teachers and Classified Staff: Don't give in to CUSD's extortion attempts. Yes, the financial situation is dire - and cuts will have to be made by everyone - staff and administration. But if you give in to their demands now, then business will go on as usual - inefficient and dysfunctional at the District office level. Let the State takeover. Sure, it will be rough when they do, but with the pain will come substantial change for CUSD, which is sorely needed. The Superintendent will be fired, the Board will be stripped of its financial decision making authority, and significant restructuring will occur in the operations of CUSD - all good and much-needed things.

pypr wrote:

"CUSD wants us to immediately negotiate proposals which call for huge salary sacrifices on our part with 'no intent of restoring earnings lost'," says the statement that is posted over the names of the union's negotiating committee, James Williams, Greg Frank, Kevin Morretti, Kurt Rix, Diane Deadmond and Jen Flory."
It is that or a state take over. The state will surely void CUTA contracts and cut their pay. BECAUSE THAT IS THE PROBLEM. Paying the teachers too much is the mismanagement. I love the "no intent of restoring earnings lost". Yep, that's right, they are in trouble because they have to pay you too much. They don't have the money now and will not have it in the future. Putting off how they were going to cover CUTA pay raises until a future date, counting on budget increases that never came is what got CUSD in trouble.
Ah heck, why not fire all of the lower paid teachers that have less seniority until they can make payroll? Sound good?
As long as we are being selfish, I personally want every dime I paid on the bond to build the Canyon View High School back.

one of the problems is that teachers make to much, 30,000 to 60,000 for 9 months of work i think that is a little much. but remember i said that is only one problem, admin needs to take the same cuts if not more. those two will be a start of many issues that need to be fixed

Country-Boy wrote:

In terms of school revenue California schools get just over $10,000 per pupil per year.
So in a class of 25 students (more likely 30) each classroom generates $250,000 per year. Even after benefits it is hard to imagine that a teacher makes $100,000 but assume they do. So that leaves $150,000 per classroom. A K-6 school usually has at least 14 classroom or after teacher salaries that leaves $2,100,000 for non-teacher expenses for that school.
So principal, office staff, maintenance for $2,100,000 a year, I can't see why there is money left over. For example why does every K-6 need a principal full time? A principal should be able to move from school to school (at least two schools per principal) especially since the admins and vice principals do a lot of work. Even then why have a vice principal? There are a lot of ways to keep costs down and have keep the level education high when you look at the amount of money coming in per school.

with very modest estaments you are making to much sense, sometimes thing are very simple

There is something so disturbing when we realize that the same people who were irresponsible and incompetent managing a budget are the same people who continue to manage it, suggest the cuts, and make the changes. Bob Feaster and Kelly Staley are the Bernie Madoffs of CUSD and should live in the same place as they put Madoff. The board, which is made up of good people, made the mistake of deferring every decision to these people and look where it got us? That same board should step aside and allow some real experts to take over. I don't dislike the board, but I don't want to listen to a single opinion from them anymore. They also tend to point fingers to deflect attention from their own mistakes. Lots of things could be done without touching salaries. The district will make it sound like teachers are greedy and make it into a political struggle. Staley, Feaster, Coombs, and Jones should be immediately fired for incompetence.

Our schools have seen a dramatic decline in enrollment because of district decisions that have adversely affected student, parent, and staff satisfaction. That has led to a mass exedous to several charters. The closing of Nord, Forest Ranch, and J Partridge were mistakes. Nord and Forest Ranch showed us that they could operate in the black and gain students. That was something that our inept district office said was impossible. We have read enough about the dismantling of one junior high that has adversely affected enrollment and morale. We have experienced school boundary decisions that made no sense. We have experienced disaster curriculum changes that are contrary to our mission. Our leaders search desperately for the easy panacea and think that PLC is the next coming of Christ because it's the newest acronym on the bandwagon. Someone sent 150 teachers to Las Vegas to attend a conference on how to talk to each other. It is amazing to all of us how gullible education has become. Parents want simple things. They want quality education in a positive environment.

The board should release the upper management immediately, get rid of the "Bernie Madoffs" of our district, and then resign themselves and ask five new people to come in. I don't need to hear how we have to have experience on the board. The experience they mention has consistently made mistakes. The one board member (Lerner) who is one of the inexperienced has been the most forward thinking but gets voted down by "experienced" board members. Their track record has been abyssmal.

If teachers take a pay cut, no one will remember why it happened. Our district office is directly responsible for the "Fabulous 50" we call it. That stands for the 50 fabulously HORRIBLE decisions of mismanagement that have contributed to this financial disaster. Right now they are trying to protect their reputations and positions, when in reality, they should be dismissed and have others start to manage us out of this mess. God forbid we allow these same people to manage our finances and the education of our schools with the track record they have made. I will invest in "Bernie Madoff" no longer. Nor should our board or community.

They will bury this community with their plea for the teachers to bail them out. I urge this community to ask for their dismissal and someone else to come in who is capable of better performance.

I think that the citizens of Chico need to remember that all teachers are not the same when looking at this issue. Most of the time the representatives of the union are the teachers who are not looking out for the best interests of students and other teachers. They are looking out for themselves and the other highest paid teachers in the district. Many of the newer teachers do not have the money agenda on their minds, but are in teaching because they want to help students. There are many teachers out there who would give up a portion of their pay if everyone else in the district would do the same. Wow, this would mean that the superintendent would need to set an example by starting with her own. Imagine leading by actions rather than by words.

Obama has proposed a teacher clunker program, for every old grossly polluting teacher or administrator you bring to a dealer, you will get $3,000. The purchase of new teachers will stimulate our economy and refresh the energy in our schools.

No word yet on clunkers district staff program but it is generally agreed that these bodies must be taken straight to the junkyard to be able to participate in the teacher clunker program.

Teachers will no longer require credentials under the new program, they will simply have to agree to quit their second jobs at Walmart and McDonald's.

Quick, what's the 3 greatest reasons to be teacher???
JUNE, JULY & AUGUST!

dbski4it wrote:

No one likes a pay-cut but it happens in the private sector all the time.

Yep, especially those of us who are self-employed.

The unions will ultimately be the downfall of this State. Do away with the unions, and the problem is solved.

Was it so long ago that no one remembers the union claim that the district was "awash with money"?