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Local battles on teacher pay cuts will follow action in Carson City
Monday, April 20, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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- School District must cut another $19.9 million (4-14-2009)
- Stimulus money isn't coming easy (4-13-2009)
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- Teachers union blasts Horsford on education (3-13-2009)
Carson City — The Legislature can order pay cuts for state workers, but local schoolteachers are a different story.
Although Gov. Jim Gibbons proposed months ago that teachers take a 6 percent cut to help the state close a yawning budget gap, the reality being voiced in the halls of the Legislature last week is that the state cannot force pay cuts on school districts. That means any pay cut legislators recommend for teachers could end up coming from other parts of the districts’ budgets.
The real power over teacher salaries lies with the state’s 17 county school boards. Some unions that negotiate labor contracts with those boards as well as the state teachers union have expressed confidence recently that they can protect members’ salaries.
If pay reductions for teachers are part of a grand budget compromise that emerges from Carson City over the next few weeks, stay tuned. School districts might preserve salaries but they would have to make other cuts to compensate. The state does have ultimate say over the amount districts must cut, even if it can’t dictate the form reductions take.
Union contracts are a major factor in those school districts.
Clark County School Superintendent Walt Rulffes said that the existing collective bargaining agreements are binding. “That’s a major obstacle to get over,” Rulffes said. “Just because the Legislature says ‘cut’ doesn’t mean it’s a slam dunk.”
Earlier this year, for example, Rulffes approached the school administrators’ union to gauge its willingness to “consider some form of compensation adjustment,” Rulffes said.
One possibility was having administrators take a one-day unpaid furlough. The suggestion was rejected.
The district is back in negotiations with the teachers union. “Nothing is off the table,” Rulffes said.
Legislators say that if unions don’t bend on pay, school districts will have to cut jobs and find other savings.
“Teachers associations have to realize if they don’t agree to work with us, the cuts will come elsewhere,” said Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City, chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee. “Teachers could be let go, there could be higher class sizes. There are going to be repercussions.”
Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert, R-Reno, said she was concerned that a refusal to reduce salaries could force layoffs.
Both the Nevada State Education Association and the Clark County Education Association have said they will fight any pay reductions.
Teachers are already underpaid and asking them to make additional sacrifices is wrong, said Ruben Murillo, president of the Clark County Education Association.
“We are prepared to go to arbitration to protect our contract,” Murillo said. “There will be no cuts and no changes — not without a fight.”
He added that Nevada could reap more than $200 million in additional revenue thanks to the passage of a hotel room tax this legislative session. Support for the tax was spearheaded by the statewide teachers union.
Sources say that the pay reductions are likely to be more like 3 percent.
Given that personnel costs account for 89 percent of the district’s budget, and the depth of the cuts that have already been outlined, “some tough choices” lie ahead, Rulffes said.
Joyce Haldeman, associate superintendent of community and government relations for the Clark County School District, said, “People think because we’ve gotten the $120 million in cuts behind us, we’re safe.
“The reality is we don’t know what’s going to happen, or if the revenue is going to continue to fall.”
Discussion: 29 comments so far…
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The state has been putting it on the teachers for decades. We didn't experience the boom of the nineties but the state wants teachers to experience the bust, again. You needed to pay the teachers what they deserve. You didn't do that and now you want to balance the budget on educators. Wrong.
One can understand the teachers not wanting to make any concessions while the legislature is in session. After all doing so will take some of the pressure off the law makers. However lets hope that when all is said and done they look after the best interests of the students. (The reason we have public education) Everyone knows going in that you don't get rich in education (I have four siblings who are teachers). You do it to make a difference. Sometimes we all have to make adjustments to get the job done. Eating your own by forcing lay offs of teachers, adminstrators and support staff and increasing our already record unemployment rate, creating more surplus housing and increasing class size doesn't seem to be the answer. Afer all teachers tell us smaller class sizes make a huge difference..so can a temporary salary reduction make a huge difference to our students? And would it be nice if the teachers stood up and lead by example in how one helps others though hardship...perhaps win the support from the harsh critics of public education.
Now I am off to check the job listings.
Make the cut two fold. If the district doesn't cut pay by the 6% expected so maintenance and other services can still be provided, the cut grows to 10%.
"Clark County School Superintendent Walt Rulffes said that the existing collective bargaining agreements are binding. "That's a major obstacle to get over," Rulffes said. "Just because the Legislature says 'cut' doesn't mean it's a slam dunk."
Earlier this year, for example, Rulffes approached the school administrators' union to gauge its willingness to "consider some form of compensation adjustment," Rulffes said.
One possibility was having administrators take a one-day unpaid furlough. The suggestion was rejected.
The district is back in negotiations with the teachers union. "Nothing is off the table," Rulffes said."
Not a problem ---- Murillo and Jasonek will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and the teachers will have their salaries cut. MOUs do NOT need a vote of the membership. Jasonek and Murillo will "sell" teachers down the river.
Teachers -- do what is best for you --- DROP CCEA IN JULY 1-10 --- THAT'S THE ONLY RAISE YOU WILL RECEIVE THIS YEAR!!!!!
My own view is that the CCSD is relatively worthless, in terms of effectively teaching my kids anything.
In my view, the State should simply shut down the school systems for a year or two, and use the money that would have been paid to the Superindentant, administrators and teachers to eliminate the state's deficit and re-establish the rainy day fund.
"In my view, the State should simply shut down the school systems for a year or two, and use the money that would have been paid to the Superindentant, administrators and teachers to eliminate the state's deficit and re-establish the rainy day fund."
Can't do that and you know it - Article 11 of the Nevada Constitution expressly states that the legislature create a system of unifed schools.
Not to mention the federal lawsuit that would come down (take your pick - NCLB, Title IX, or ADA).
By CynicalObserver
4/20/09 at 9:09 a.m.
Suggest removal My own view is that the CCSD is relatively worthless, in terms of effectively teaching my kids anything.
---------
What individuals get out of school mostly has to do with what they put into it - in the CCSD or any other setting.
Possibly, your children hear you saying how worthless their teachers and schools are.
Or possibly they're just not very bright...
Cut the pay 6% then start the lay-offs if they start striking. Cut the staff down to the level that can be supported with current revenues. When revenues go down cut the pay.
LasVegas2009:
So having 40-50 kids per class is no problem to you?
I've worked in classrooms. Even excellent teachers cannot handle more than 30 students without some help.
Remember, if you don't like your job, and what you're getting paid there are 6 MILLION unemployed Americans who'd be more than happy to take your job and the benefits too!
Education is important but if there isn't enough money to go around what gets cut? Police, fire, social services, Roads and utilities, stop sending out welfare checks? O'... they're taking cuts too!
Just remember when you keep making all the cuts to the state budget, you get what you pay for, so quit complaining about the schools, you haven't paid for over the past 20 years or the bad roads or the poor social net.
The state keeps bragging about the low tax structure to bring businesses to Nevada, but what major industry has relocated to Nevada? If you really want to attract quality industry, you need to offer a quality infrastructure.
Our Tax Burden has been carried by tourists and visitors rather than those of us living here and now that the visitors have gone away, we're sunk unless our legislature works out some new taxes, maybe beginning to match the taxes Walmart and others pay in our neighboring states that pay the same for the goods they sell we do.
If we really want to capitalize on new "green technologies" we'll need an educated workforce and we won't get that without improving our schools rather than continuing to cut everything.
I don't care if they have to teach 100 students per classroom. Seems to work in college courses. State needs to get these first wave of cuts over with so we can get to the next wave. Get people living off the fat of the tax payer to feel the pain the rest of us have had. When tax revenue is down these public pigs got to feed less.
Shut the schools down and let them learn on line. Will save billions, no buses, no land purchases, no buildings or up keep and especially no over paid workers. Other countries are already doing this. We wont have to fund these teachers retirement accounts with money we need to pay the rent. We wont have to pay to feed all these other peoples kids. We wont have to keep paying all these over burdened taxes. These schools are nothing more then state supported day care anyway.
Face it, the Nevada public education system is a taxpayer scam.
Teachers' of the CCSD see the misappropriation and malfeasant of public funds daily within the public school system. I know CCSD teachers that refuse to enroll their children in the 'scam' they're employed by which currently spends more per student than the private sector. I have family members that teach and are limited to two hours of student classroom studies due to extra curriculum activies. The 'no student left behind' mandates teachers to focus their energies upon the slowest learning students, retarding overall classroom student progression.
Those choosing to have children are responsible for providing for their own children's education needs not those that don't, let alone be mandated into paying their entire property ownership lives.
The cost of public education upon the life of a typical property owner is staggering, I dare the CCSD to reveal the TOTAL costs their scam perpetrates upon county property owners during their lifetime.
Let the private sector compete for parent's school dollars by abolishing the public school system scam and relief property owners of unjust taxation mandates.
Article 11 (education) of the Nevada constitution section 2; "Uniform system of common schools. The legislature shall provide for a uniform system of common schools, by which a school shall be established and maintained in each school district at least six months in every year, and any school district which shall allow instruction of a sectarian character therein may be deprived of its proportion of the interest of the public school fund during such neglect or infraction, and the legislature may pass such laws as will tend to secure a general attendance of the children in each school district upon said public schools."
Legislature shall provide A SCHOOL in EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT of which there are currently 18 school districts in Nevada.
The Nevada legislature has been mandating funding to the public school system scam beyond constitutional requirements, which must be stopped; current budget cuts are merely a start.
"I don't care if they have to teach 100 students per classroom. Seems to work in college courses."
Yeah, because professors have to deal with 100 adult students for only 3 hours a week.
You try shepherding 100 7-year-olds 30 hours a week and tell me how easy it is. Oh, and you have to actually teach them things.
It's NOT just babysitting. Get a substitute teaching license and we'll see if you can make the grade. I'd bet you wouldn't last a week.
Like I said before save all us taxpayers Billions and shut them down! Every one who wants their kids to learn can pay for it themselves or set them in front of a computer everyday. I don't care I just want to pay less. Taxes are out of control.
Someone explain why teacher layoffs aren't being considered? The school population is down.
I see no one has anything intelligent to say on the subject. except douglas. Usual bunch of under-educated, ignorant morons.
That's a good point afveteran I wonder if the student population is growing or shrinking?
I don't know any stats for people leaving town but I can imagine transplants from SoCal moving into town so the population could be going up... but I don't know who would move to Vegas if there aren't any jobs...
I see no one has anything intelligent to say on the subject. except douglas. Usual bunch of under-educated, ignorant morons.
Yeah.
Close the dumb schools and stick your kid in front of a computer.
Another responsibility of professional educators is to report child abuse and neglect. Doing this to your child constitutes both.
Contrary to opinion shared here by people who have absolutely no concept of what goes on in classrooms, the shutting down of classrooms would take an awful toll on our society. Kids learn from contact with each other, with teachers and with instructional materials developed and utilized in classrooms. Isolating a child with a computer does nothing to address social skills. Why are you so angry that you would be willing to wipe out the possibility for a future for our society? What has it done to you?
"I don't care I just want to pay less. Taxes are out of control."
These comments are indicative of the kind of thoughtless tone I find so appalling. As a matter of fact, we Nevadans pay for almost none of our services compared to most Americans. Visitors pay for most of our services. And you know why businesses don't move where there is an undereducated work force -- they don't want stupid people for employees. And you don't think funding education is wise. It's wise for the kid, for the community and for society. We got where we are because some smart people got us here. Do you really want to go back to plain old stupidity?
Airweare, some people teach because they love to teach. This is evident in Catholic schools were the teachers make peanuts compared to public school teachers. The fact of the matter is that the economy is in such bad shape that people would rather pay rent and feed themselves than pay a teacher's salary. Really sad :(
and tax money...how are you going to tax someone who's broke?
Exactly sabibaby, some people love to teach. But pride and love doesn't pay the bills.
My sister lives modestly, drives a 16-year-old pickup truck, and the only reason she isn't being squeezed is because she's a Millennium Scholar. But as a result of other, more veteran, teachers leaving due to the poor pay she's now one of the most senior teachers in her department. And she's only in her second year.
You want to gut education? Fine. But as it has been said, businesses want to establish in areas where there is an educated workforce. Creating a state of slack-jawed yokels only guarantees that Nevada will become the Mississippi of the West.
(No offense intended to anyone actually from Mississippi.)
Here is the solution no one wants to hear:
1. Do NOT cut teachers' salaries.
2. When the money runs out, close the schools. That should be February, 2010.
3. Parents scream that their kids are not being educated.
4. Mall owners are upset that kids are running rough-shod in their businesses.
5. Casino owners are mad that kids are in their gambling areas.
6. Parents, mall owners, casino magnates, and other concerned citizens call the governor.
7. Gibbons calls for a Special Session.
8. State legislators now need to find funds to operate schools
In the meantime teachers are collecting unemployment benefits. They tell the state legislators and the governor they will return if teachers receive a 5% pay raise for 2009-2010 and a 6% pay raise for 2010-2011.
9. Governor and state legislature relent.
10. Students and teachers return to school in mid-February, 2010.
"These comments are indicative of the kind of thoughtless tone I find so appalling."
Thank you Aireweare, I completely agree. Our teachers have enough difficulties trying to teach an incredibly transient student population, and now they have to suffer the indignities of ignorant, baseless comments. How sad.
Let's focus on CCSD's successes (how quickly they are forgotten!):
1. CCSD is the ONLY one of the top 10 largest school district to achieve AYP two years in a row. Let's say it again: TWO YEARS IN A ROW. Nicely done!
2. US News & World Report recognized six CCSD high schools in their feature on the best high schools in America.
3. The Nevada Taxpayer's Association granted the Good Government award to CCSD's Facilities Division for its energy-saving program
4. The American Productivity & Quality Center named CCSD a "Best Practices" school district.
Check out more good news at ccsd.net/news.
Is there room for improvement? Of course! CCSD strives for continual improvement. I certainly don't have the answers as to where the budget cuts need to come from, but I do know that attacking each other is not the answer. These are tough times indeed.
How much does the average teacher in Las Vegas make anyway?
Can anyone verify if the student population in Las Vegas and deterimine whether it's going up or down?
"And would(sic) it be nice if the teachers stood up and lead by example in how one helps others though hardship..."
Dear RJNJ2001...
That's the same old argument we've heard for years just with a different beneficiary ...when things were good we were asked to forgoe raises "for the good of the kids" and now it is "for the good of the state".
Dear Sabibaby,
"This is evident in Catholic schools were the teachers make peanuts compared to public school teachers." Please also be aware that they are not required to educate EVERY child that walks through their doors...i.e. , discipline problems, students with IEP's, non-english speaking, etc. If you walked into the average public high school class and could immediately cull those previously mentioned, life would be nirvana at the public school as well and those teachers may be willing to be paid less in order to deal with less. The sheer beauty of public education is that we DO take everyone whether they are a citizen or not, whether they have full intellectual capacity or not, whether they can pay or not, whether they have behavior problems or not...
I'm not saying teachers don't deserve more, read the entire post.
HOW MUCH DOES THE AVERAGE TEACHER IN LAS VAGAS MAKE?
Simple question.
"HOW MUCH DOES THE AVERAGE TEACHER IN LAS VAGAS MAKE?"
1. you spelled Vegas wrong...
2. Since the cost of living is considerable, i would say they aren't making enough, and possibly have a ssecond job.