UGGGGG!!! My DS school is going to strike!!

[tinkernelllec]

Hi all.

I didn't really want to turn this post into a fighting match, I was, and still am, angry, that my DS education is put on hold. (And it affects my vacations!!)

I live in a rural area in PA, and my school district is one of the lowest income districts in the area. I read an article in the paper that said the median income in the area was 20,000. The article also stated the salaries of the teachers that ranged from 24,000 to 65,000 and that 65% made top salary. The school board proposed a 1500 pay raise a year for 5 years and that isn't good enough!!!!! Now I know someone wrote not to compare professions, but I'm sorry, but I have a 4 year degree (I am a RN) and my DH is an RN with a 4 year degree and have been nurses for 12 years (so you would think we would be a top range of salary, right?) and neither one of us make that much. About 18,000 less than that!! Neither of us have gotten a 1500 pay raise in one year, let alone for 5 consecutive years, believe me. In fact, my DH took a paycut to stay at his job because unfortunately he actually liked his nursing job. And I know many nurses who HATE nursing, so for him to like his job was worth the paycut, and the hospital I work for is a rural hospital that doesn't have the money to pay the top salaries like big hospitals. I stay there because I don't want to drive into Pittsburgh which is an hour from my house (and pay the gas, parking, etc, just to make a few dollars more an hour) Health care systems get their money from insurance companies and medicare, and they just don't pay what the expenses are anymore. It's awful.

Anyway, this strike is about money, it stated that in the paper, not about anything else. Now, I am not saying that teachers don't deserve a fair salary. What I was saying is, I don't believe it is necessary to affect the 1300 kids that go to the school because they want more money. These kids are going to miss out on a thanksgiving/christmas/easter and most of June vacations. They are disrupted in their studies when they have just gotten into the grove of things. I would be upset with the strike if I weren't planning a vacation.

To someone who posted whether I am worried about my DS missing too many days of school, yes, I am, because he wouldn't be missing as many if they had their thanksgiving break like they are supposed to. They are very strict on how many days they can miss. Only 5 for vacation. If I were to take him out for this November one for 5 days and then in June for a vacation that was supposed to be after school was out, then he would be missing a total of 10 days, and who wants to take their kid out of school the last or 2nd to last week of school when they are having finals.

 

[noodleknitter]

Can you withdraw him from school before that second vacation (in June) and re-admit next year? Or would that cause too many other issues?

BTW...it's your thread...you can say whatever you want, as long as it is within board guidelines!!

 

[D L and K's Mom]

I am a teacher at a Catholic School. I do not make a huge salary but I choose to stay where I am because I love my school. DH is also a teacher but he teaches at the Public H.S. He also does not make a huge salary. He is part of the Union. He has no choice. Just make sure you are not taking your anger out on all the teachers. Some of them have no choice but to go along with the Union.
I just also want to add that yes, we get out of school at 3:00 but I take home work with me EVERY night. I may get out of school at 3:00 but I don't leave the building until much much later. I work on the weekends, I work nights and I work duing the summers. I am not complaining I love my job and yes, I chose it. But please don't think your children's teachers are done at 3:00. I spend hours and hours making centers, lesson plans, filling out info for IEPs etc. I call parents to tell them how great thier children are doing. I call parents to tell them what we need to do to make their child do better. I take workshops and classes so I can be a better teacher. I schedule field trips, conferences, etc. I do this all after 3:00.I love my job but it does not end at 3:00. Just had to add this.

 

[seashoreCM]

If school is closed due to a storm or a strike, sit your kids down to do studies for the day. Estimate what lessons will be done and have your kids work on that material.

If you already scheduled your Disney vacation and later the school schedules a make up day on the same dates, go through all of the required motions for making the absence non-unexcuxed but on Disney departure day pull the kids from school anyway.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[pigletz]

I'm confused. Did the school say that they were canceling breaks and extending the school year to make up for the strike? When we went on strike there were no make up days. They didn't cancel any breaks and the school year wasn't extended. The only thing they did do was offer free after school and Saturday tutoring once the strike was over. The kids didn't have to go but could if they wanted to.

A couple other things.

1. Salaries can be deceptive. I know you mentioned that 65% were making top salaries. How long have those teachers been teaching? We have a lot of teachers in our district that are nearing retirement. They've been here 25+ years and many have been teaching for close to 40. If someone were to look at the average salary for teachers in our district they would probably think it was high. All of those teachers will retire in a few years and we'll have a lot of younger teachers. The average salary will go way down.

2. What you read in the newspaper is not always the whole truth. Our newspapers reported that we were going on strike because of pay. While it was an issue, it certainly wasn't the main one. We settled for 1% for the first year and 0 for the next two.

3. Unless they've already gone on strike, you probably have nothing to worry about. The news starts reporting it as soon as there has been a strike meeting. I know we had at least ten meetings debating whether we wanted to strike or not before we actually voted. Of course the news reported from the first one that we were going on strike. Also, many contracts are settled after the union votes to go on strike but before the actual strike begins. I know we voted on a Friday and then spent the weekend praying that the union and district could work it out over the weekend.

 

[Lorikr65]

My DH is a police officer. He cannot strike. They have been working without a contract for almost 1 1/2 years. Negotiations are going into arbitration because the Town Administrator is just playing games with them. They had 12 items that were pending, 1 being biweekly paychecks. She decided to implement that and not the other 11 because that was convenient for her. What is the union to do?? They can't strike. The union now has 3 unfair labor practices filed against her.

Yes, teachers have an important job - but don't others too? Aren't policemen and firefighters' jobs important to our children also?? Just be glad you can strike and don't have to accept what is thrown at you by an inexperienced and vindictive person (our Town Administrator!!).