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Teachers Stan Lasker, from left, of Bailey Middle School, Teresa Testa of Robert Lake Elementary School and Elizabeth Baker of Newton Elementary School listen during a Clark County Education Association bargaining update meeting Tuesday at Del Sol High School.
Thursday, April 22, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Sun archives
- ‘Almost catastrophic’ budget cuts on horizon for Clark County schools (4-22-2010)
- Clark County teachers face peer pressure on furloughs (4-9-2010)
- School Board rejects moving schools to nine-month calendar (3-26-2010)
- Year-round schools could face calendar shift to save money (3-16-2010)
- Teachers resist increasing pressure to accept pay cuts (2-5-2010)
- Budget crunch puts shorter school year, teacher pay cuts on table (2-4-2010)
- Gibbons: School districts should brace for 10 percent cuts (2-2-2010)
It’s just before 5 p.m. and the cafeteria at Del Sol High School on East Patrick Lane is filling with elementary and secondary school teachers, tired after a long day at work and wondering about their futures.
About 200 seats will be filled with a cross-section of teachers — veterans with decades of experience in the Clark County School District and younger ones starting their careers.
They’re just a small percentage of the 12,800 dues-paying members of the Clark County Education Association, but union leaders are pleased because it’s a decent turnout for a Tuesday night.
They are here to be updated on the budget crisis and contract negotiations.
While they wait for the start, teachers talk quietly with each other or pull out stacks of papers, the fruits of their day in the classroom. There’s still work to be done, even in the face of a budget crisis and possible pay cuts.
Ruben Murillo, president of the union representing the majority of the district’s 18,000 teachers, steps up to the microphone.
We know there are a lot of rumors out there, Murillo says. Here are the facts.
He’s got the teachers’ attention.
Some teachers begin taking notes. Others are tapping at their cell phones, sending text messages highlighting Murillo’s remarks to colleagues who can’t be here.
The district has to cut $145 million from its operating budget for the 2011 fiscal year that begins July 1. A plan to cover the bulk of that shortfall is in place: increasing class sizes in grades 1-3, letting most of the 76 year-round schools go back to nine-month calendars and delaying replacing textbooks and instructional materials.
There’s $28 million still to cut, and it’s almost certainly going to come out of personnel costs, which account for nearly 90 percent of the district’s $2.1 billion operating budget.
There are a variety of scenarios on the table, the teachers are told.
One of the proposals calls for all teachers to take several unpaid days off, but would allow two thirds of the district’s teachers — from the rookies to those in the upper middle range of the experience ladder — to move up a half-step on the salary schedule. Only the most experienced teachers, those who are earning top pay, wouldn’t have the sting of furloughs offset by salary bumps.
We’re going to need your help making some tough decisions, Murillo says.
The teachers have questions. They line up at two microphones to ask them.
What about job security? Are layoffs really going to happen?
At this time last year, nearly 150 teachers were without assignments as a result of budget cuts. Nearly all landed positions that came open as people decided to leave the district or were promoted to administrative posts. The union expects a similar success rate this time around, Murillo says.
One teacher has a more immediate problem. She teaches preschool children from high-poverty neighborhoods. The program is being canceled. What can the union do?
That’s beyond the union’s reach, she’s told. The best she can hope for is to land a similar position at another campus.
“This is going to hurt the kids,” the teacher says. “We’re talking about fixing the money problems today. Nobody’s thinking about what this does to our future.”
Teachers want to know how they’re supposed to manage the extra work of larger class sizes, or how they’ll pay for the required continued education courses they need to keep their licenses current.
When are the cuts going to end? Is this the last round? Are there more to come? How bad is it going to get?
That’s in the hands of the 2011 Legislature, says John Jasonek, who recently retired as the union’s executive director and now serves as a consultant.
What will be the tipping point? What will it take for the public — especially parents — to put enough pressure on lawmakers that education is properly funded?
It’s a question Jasonek said dates back three superintendents.
“I had that conversation with Brian Cram and I had the conversation with Carlos Garcia,” Jasonek says. “And now I’m having it with Walt Rulffes.”
It is truly a sad day in this country when there is no discussion about funding unnecessary wars and bailing out rich bankers and Wall Street traders so they can keep their BONUSES while schools have to foot the bill. There is no excuse or rational explanation for such screwed up priorities. How hypocritical when everyone screams about how important children are and then turn around and punish them for the crimes of greedy adults. Still think "Greed is good" is cool?
In photo #1,is a High School Yearbook really $80.00 now ????!!
Mostly, from your photos, I see veterans. Where ARE all the young teachers?
One way to end the crisis is for people to stop procreating then we won't need such a large school system. Let the procreators go to family friendly places like southern California, and the Mid West. Next we need to examine how many illegal aliens are choking our public funds and social programs and do something immediately to solve that problem. Solve that one and there would be no need for budget cutbacks, and teacher lay offs.
Yes yearbooks are $80, trips are $50+, proms are $90+. It's called corporate greed. Wherever they smell a need and a possible profit they are ready and waiting. Try hiring a limo during prom season.
The reason you see mostly veteran teachers is because they are afraid to death of losing their jobs. For some reason, younger teachers seem to feel immune to the realities. When you have invested 20 or more years in a profession and someone tells you it may go away the next day you tend to panic a little bit.
Why isn't an across the board cut in salaries not on the table. Everyone paying taxes for these schools has had a cut in pay, why are public employees suppose to be exempt. If the students parents are getting by on 20% less, so can the teachers.
I have a consummate respect for Teachers and the work they do shaping the young minds of children.With out intervention and a proposed plan overhauling our current state of affairs what incentives are there to become an educators in future?To date there has been only one outline addressing these daunting tasks that I have seen giving credence to the magnitude and necessity of immediate attention. The Edge Plan detailed by this paper some weeks ago.Parental support is vital to our teachers without them be assured that your child's future is as bleak as a shorn wheat field in winter.
What a protected class we have made of these teachers! They receive $40 - $65k salaries, have 100% of their pension paid for, have all the usual benefits, AND they have 80 more paid days off than you and me.
They chose to be teachers - no one forced them into servitude. The first time they received a pay check in July for laying out on the beach, they were sold! As they moved up the pay scale, the beach turned into Paris and Rome... a protected class.
Jeez,Yearbooks were only $20 when I was in HS. Though , i graduated in 1990.
Newsense,
Can I please have the name of your travel agent, I would love to know how someone making 40K (and you say it like that's alot) can take trips to Paris and Rome. Most teachers can't afford a trip to Mesquite.
I guess school teachers have No DRESS code, they all look like they get their work clothes from a second hand store, and look like homeless people. No wonder kids have a difficult time trying to respect them. Maybe they should also look into diet and exercise program.
eventually, everyone will have to send their kids to private school if they have the money. Otherwise, your kids will be stuck in a degrading public school system. That's sad but real.
It's truly hysterical!! No one has a problem with million dollar bonuses to Wall Street crooks, millions of dollars paid to drug marinated "pro" athletes, or millions paid to actors and musicians, but OH MY GOD, a teacher EARNS $60,000 a year after spending $20,000 on a master's degree to get their job, and you better put them back in line!!!! We are truly living in the Twilight Zone, or maybe I should call it the Hypocrisy Zone.
Are all of you crazy out there? I guess we all have our opinions but come on people. These children are our future. Don't any of you get that? These children are the ones that will be running this country in the next 5+ years. It is all about education...what kind of world will it be if these kids are not educated? This is a never ending battle of what is the priority. I couldn't be a teacher...do you know what they have to deal with on a daily basis? I couldn't stay in the room for 1 hour with 10 10-year old kids without feeling crazy. Our teachers of OUR FUTURE need help. What kind of future are we AMERICANS going to have if our kids cannot get the education that they need? Private schools are so expensive (about $10K a year for some). Why are some kids getting a good education by paying for it and others get left behind because of cost? It is truly a sad place for Americans today. I am afraid for our future.
Nutsack, they don't have to look like fashion models, but they should look like professionals.
"AND they have 80 more paid days off than you and me."
No, they don't. Teachers don't get ANY paid days off.
Let's just put everything to rest. I am a young teacher and I was at the meeting on Tuesday. First, everyone who is complaining that teachers are not taking pay-cuts, try reading the article. Notice it said one option is that teachers will only "move up 1/2 a step" on the pay level. Perhaps more in teaching than in other fields, years of experience in the classroom more often than not equates to higher quality teaching. Every year, teachers that haven't reached the highest step on their pay level receive a FULL STEP. So, in essence, all teachers will be taking a pay cut. Next year's budget is based on all teachers moving up a full step. Therefore, taking less than the full step would be less, wouldn't it?
I'm not sure why everyone used to acknowledge that teachers in CCSD are grossly underpaid, yet now, all of the sudden, we are lazy, underdressed and have gaudy salaries. Keep in mind that teachers in CCSD (and Nevada as a whole) already have salaries that are in the bottom 10% of the country for teachers. Nobody remembers back in the 90's when the economy was going really strong and every company (public and private) was handing out huge raises and gaudy bonuses, teachers didn't get any of those. If when the economy was great, teachers didn't get any of the benefits, how can anyone reasonably expect teachers to foot the bill when the economy is bad?
Just to reiterate, most teachers are expecting to take some sort of cut in pay. Like most other state agencies, one way this is going to be accomplished is through furlough days, or unpaid days off. Furthermore, these furlough days will be taken from Staff Development days, which, I admit, are not usually the best use of time. So your kids will still be in school the same amount of days and teachers will be getting paid less than they were supposed to be getting paid. What's the issue now?
Geniuses, the meeting was at 5 PM, AFTER WORK. They changed clothes.
Teacher salaries are paid out 52 weeks a year purely for convenience. That way your local government can hang on to their money for a few extra weeks. Teachers are paid for the days they work. Please remember you must have TWO college degrees to be a teacher - bachelor's and master's, and it is the ONLY prfession that does not reimburse for a required higher degree. Please note that according to the census only about 9-10 % of the U.S. adult population over 21 holds a master's degree or higher. That is your labor pool for teachers. 90% of adults over 21 are not qualified to be teachers. Note that 9-10% includes doctors, lawyers, engineers, ANYONE with a higher degree. WE EARN OUR MONEY, EVERY PENNY!! I dare anyone of the teacher bashers here to do my job for one week. I have done it for 21 years. BTW that would be middle school math. Nervous????
NewSense, that's nonsense. Have you NEVER read the words of anyone else besides yourself? Our $40-65K is spread over a 12 month period. It is not a paid vacation. It's the same as if you worked for 9 months and saved up enough to cover the 3 months you went without work. Jeez...your statement is as stale as a drunk's breath.
they all look like they get their work clothes from a second hand store...so pay 'em more SueBee so they can look the way you'd like!
This is laughable, everyrone else is being asked to have pay cuts and their unions are asking for half a raise? If we are spending 90% of the budget on salaries, there is something wrong here. Since the teachers are not getting paid big, maybe we have too many overhead personnel (too many chiefs and less indians) or spending too much on pays and benefits. I have too much respect for teachers but get on board with everyone and don't even think about any raise.
Are people really complaining that teachers make $40-$60k per year? That amount actually seems unreasonable to some people? If that is an accurate number, how can anyone complain about that? Teaching is one of the most important jobs people can do, and those that get into the field don't do it for the money.
It is becoming very clear the powers that be had no clue what they were doing as this city expanded and grew. I'm with the teachers on this one.
Suebee:
LOL, I like to see how you dress yourself up but I don't see no problem with what they are wearing, especially after work. I'm pretty sure you will be criticizing them either way, you will claim how overpaid the are if they came with suits and gowns so they are on a "no win" situation with you. I hope you feel a lot better now that you vented some of your angers and frustrations in life.
OMG teachers, get over yourselves! IMO, most of you are glofiried babysitters and not worth $40-60k for 9 months of work and 12 months of benefits. Your egos need to be deflated.
"That is your labor pool for teachers. 90% of adults over 21 are not qualified to be teachers. Note that 9-10% includes doctors, lawyers, engineers, ANYONE with a higher degree. WE EARN OUR MONEY, EVERY PENNY!! I dare anyone of the teacher bashers here to do my job for one week. I have done it for 21 years. BTW that would be middle school math. Nervous????"
Haha, you have to be kidding. You think that middle school math is challenging? You make teachers look dumb.
Nevadaappleslices - Please, please, please come do my job for a week in a middle school in North Las Vegas and tell me how overpaid I am. Why do you think many of us are glorified babysitters? Possibly because you, like many other parents, only see school as a baby sitting service. I love what I do and one of the many things I like about being a teacher is the fact that I get weekends, holidays and summers off. If that makes me a "glorified babysitter" in your eyes, than so be it. The fact is last week I had a kid tell me to "F--- Off!" in front of my entire class after I questioned this student as to why he wasn't doing his work. Then, after being sent to the dean, I had to sit in a conference where this student's parents told me I was racist, picking on their child and it was my fault their son reacted like that. I'm betting that your that type of parent.
Comment removed by moderator. Off topic.
nevadaappleslices:
Teachers would get paid a lot more if they were babysitters. No responsibility except for feeding the kid and making sure he doesn't hurt himself. $50 per day per kid...
MikeLange :
Those types of parents are EXACTLY why youth crime, and murder are at such high levels these days. The job of parenting has been abandoned by these trash people who only care about their next welfare check and child support checks are coming in because they can't get their booze and smokes with their food stamps...
Instead of giving the teachers a raise, give them a chicken to put in their pots...
Actually nevadaappleslices, I think middle school math is easy. But that's because I used to design military ships for a living. I chose to stop designing weapons and teach children instead. I took a $10,000 pay cut and traded future earnings for security and job fulfillment. I don't know you and you don't know me, but trust me, if we ever met you would definitely be the one looking stupid. I would also bet a month's paycheck that one of my classes would chew you up and spit you out in about two days.
Know wha' I'm sayin', my herb???? Peace out, short bus!
Oh and by the way, as a teacher I am the proud owner of a knifing scar, a broken pinky, and a cracked rib. That's what this babysitting gig is about.
"AND they have 80 more paid days off than you and me."
Teachers receive NO vacation or holiday pay. They receive the days off without compensation..... On the other hand, administrators -- ALL administrators from Walt Rulffes to the lowest-paid dean (who receives $10K more than the highest paid teacher) receive 24 PAID vacation days a year. If an administrator collects 100 vacation days, that administrator may sell back 20 days at his/her daily rate of pay. Now tell me where is the FAT in this school district?
If you want to know why this occurs, ask the any school board trustee, the administrators' union, or Dr. Rulffes. Now you won't get an answer, but you can ask the question.
Too many scammers in this school district --- and it's NOT the teachers.
Exactly what I expected - responses from teachers that demonstrate their lack of class.
It is not surprising that you can't handle the truth. It is quite funny though that at least one of you thinks that your middle school math is difficult. What a joke.
nevadaappleslices:
What "truth" are you expecting a decent response to? All I've seen from you are insults.
The Teacher Haters are out in force! Hey, gang!~
LOVE reading your ignorant rants and thinking, "good God, these people are clueless!"
My fav of the Teacher Hater Crowd is nevadaroadapples, who CONSTANTLY HATES ON TEACHERS. Click on that crazy kooks name and read em' for yourself.
Such unabashed ugliness; whoa! Do you know Ann Coulter???
"OMG teachers, get over yourselves! IMO, most of you are glofiried babysitters and not worth $40-60k for 9 months of work and 12 months of benefits. Your egos need to be deflated."
That's SPECIAL!!!
Just what the heck is "glorfireied"?
teachers are glorified... glorified babysitters, except for the ones that can teach middle school math to students. the proof is in the pudding that the middle school math teachers are brilliant because their students earn low standardized exam scores.
I think nevadaappleslices is bitter because he missed out on the capitalization lesson in school. He has unfortunately never taken personal responsibility for his own shortcomings.
Good one. Not.
LV Sun comment board math:
Stupid + vile - sanity = Nevadaapplenuts
Note: Formula is proved whenever an LV Sun article uses the word(s) teach, teacher, teaching, educate, educator, education...
Question; Do you think Northern schools are better than southern school?
Why?
"Exactly what I expected - responses from teachers that demonstrate their lack of class."
You dish it out, you should expect it in return...
It's up to those in charge where they want to spend Nevada's limited money. Schools or you can spend it on prisons, welfare, unemployment. As it is my grandchildren bring home school assignments that are dismal at best and the grade an At. Just push them off on the next teacher. At this rate we will be importing our smart work force from China as well as everything else.
Let's say an average baby sitter charged 5 dollars an hour for baby sitting one child for six hours. That would be 30 dollars a day. Now let's times that thirty by 30 children crammed in one room with one baby sitter, oops I mean teacher. That would be $900 a day times 5 days a week. That would be $4,500 a week. Times that by 4 weeks in a month, and that would be $18,000 a month. times that by 9 months, and that would be $160,000 a year. Wow! A baby sitter makes more than a teacher!
...But still not as much as a fire fighter....but almost!
Steve10, what a stretch in that analogy.
Nevadaappleslices
From your own words......."teachers are glorified... glorified babysitters...."
We are NOT paid for having the summer off. My salary is less than $40,000 and I choose to get paid for 12 months instead of the 9 months that I am paid for. I also do not get paid extra when I stay after school to help a student who asks for help, or when I come in 1/2 hour early to get the lessons ready to use to teach your children. The materials are not handed to us on a silver platter, we plan our lessons.
People who believe that teachers have it easy, and yes I did choose this profession because I love teaching, need to go into their child's classroom and see what really happens. Those of you who do not wish to participate in this challenge are parents of children that do not wish to participate in their own education.
If you do not believe this, take me up on my challenge!
OMG Appleslices is obviously joking you guys. One of those people who likes to get a rise out of others which is kinda funny...has NO kids, sits on their computer all day and goes to chat rooms and blogs just to oppose others' opinions even if they don't really believe that opinion.
Either that or he was a TERRIBLE student whose teachers despised him and therefore had a horrific school experience....if this is the case then obviously his own parents were those awful parents who weren't involved and did not value his education. He was probably below grade level in reading, never learned his multiplication facts....never turned in homework. Appleslice....let me guess...you are keeping the cycle going with YOUR kids. I see these kinds of parents EVERY DAY yet they will swear they are the best parent ever. ya ya ya appleslice whatever you say.
LOL appleslices has made 484 COMMENTS!!!!!!!
Obviously just bitter that he is unemployed and spends all day on the computer. How do you afford internet? You must be at the public library.
***waiting for pathetic response from appleslice...because you know its coming...
I think that the children must learn their bad behavior from the teachers on this board. You are sorry excuses for people that think that you are "professionals". You must have missed the lesson that respect should be earned because many of you are pretty low. None of you have a good response because whining and name calling doesn't looks bad on you.
arguing with a bunch of dumb school teachers is just too easy. true colors and ignorance come out quickly.
nevadaappleslices
Your ignornace is shining bright for all to see.
486 comments....lol this is fun