Letter to the Editor: A Greeley grad writes: “Don’t cut teachers at the high school”
March 25, 2011
With 53 comments since publication
by Henry Koster
Dear Editor,
I am currently a freshman at Williams College, having graduated from Greeley last June as a member of the class of 2010. I have closely followed the recent budget debates and have been dismayed, appalled and genuinely worried by some of the proposals that have been made for next year and beyond. I write this not because I have two younger brothers still in the school system for whom I want the best, although I do, and not because I have anything to gain from it myself, because obviously at this point I don’t.
I am writing this because I can provide a perspective on the issue that no parent or board member in the town, no matter how well meaning, can: I was a student in these schools. Despite the administration and board members trying their hardest to make our district the best it can be, students know better than anyone how well it actually works. And thus I can provide an opinion as to what cuts we can afford to make and what losses would be truly damaging to the education that students receive. And I want to make it very clear that laying off the teachers currently at risk at Greeley will, indisputably, reduce the quality of the education being provided.
Cut at elementary and middle schools, but try to save best young teachers
Firstly, however, although I am very strongly against many of the cuts at the high school, I cannot say the same about the elementary and middle schools. I know that cuts have been proposed at these levels and I must support them. The student populations there are dropping, and are projected to continue dropping, from where they have been for the past several years. It is only financially responsible to adjust the staffing at those levels appropriately, and it will help us to reduce the coming year’s budget.
This is provided, of course, that the cuts are made very carefully so as not to lose the best and brightest teachers, even if they are the youngest. I have had teachers at both levels who have been there for far too long and are well past their prime. These are the teachers that we should be looking to let go in order to trim the budget while maintaining the high educational standards that we have established. But the fresh, new talent should not be the first to go because it will only come back to haunt us when they are gone.
Projected enrollment at Greeley argues against cuts
This is not the case at Greeley, however. The student population is projected to increase over the next few years. Reducing the teaching staff in core subject areas will hurt the quality of the education that students are receiving and will continue to as class sizes are forced to increase with the growing student body.
Furthermore, to many of the board members and parents deciding which teachers need to go, the names are simply ink on a page. They don’t know what it’s like to sit in their class, or what their lessons are like. But let me say that I know the teachers whose jobs are potentially on the chopping block, and letting them go would be a huge mistake. I have seen people say that the quality of education is “in the eye of the beholder,” but I cannot agree. We would be letting go invaluable young teachers who have so much to offer, and we cannot afford to send them away.
Already at Greeley there are limits to how many classes in a certain subject area a student can take and how many AP classes students can enroll in for a year. Reducing the teaching staff will only compound this problem. The Board of Education has stated in several of its presentations that one of its Operating Standards for next year is to “ensure [the] tradition of excellence in teaching and learning continues.” But I know that further restricting the courses that students can take in a school that I always loved for the breadth and availability of course options will only hurt the quality of education.
Seniority is not a guarantee of quality
I fully understand that the problems of deciding which teachers to lay off are largely determined by the teachers union, and that it is not really up to the district to decide who must go. This, I believe, is the biggest problem of all. The teachers union has put a system into place based on the conviction that teachers improve with age and experience, without limit. It is literally a group that “eats its own young,” believing that younger teachers are expendable and seniority is a guarantee of quality.
While in some cases this is true, and I have been lucky to have had some outstanding older teachers, unfortunately I have also been in too many classrooms in Chappaqua where this is not the case. Some of the teachers I have had should have left long ago because they were no longer effective at teaching their students.
But with no way to regularly assess performance and no risk of losing their jobs if they don’t perform well enough, older teachers see no reason to leave before they want. The problem with this is that I have had teachers still in their twenties or early thirties, new to the district, who were among the best I’ve had. These very same teachers will be the first to go when faced with the proposed budget.
Residents should refocus energy on reform in Albany and Washington
So my first suggestion to those worried about the increasing budget is not to take it out on the teachers of Chappaqua. Rather take the negative energy that I have seen far too much of from residents when reading about the budget in places such as NewCastleNOW.org and refocus it on Albany and Washington, D.C., where the real change we need can actually be made. The problems caused by the teachers union must be addressed, and we can make a difference.
Suggestions for cuts that would not hurt the quality of education
Now, I do believe that there are cuts that can and should be made because the school budget is enormous and doesn’t need to be so. For instance, the district has purchased ten iPads recently (I presume during this school year because they never contributed to my education).
The district also continues to buy Smart Boards for classrooms that do not need them or teachers who do not want them. I have had teachers who struggle to write on the limited blackboard space surrounding the Smart Board because they do not want to use it and even more who waste valuable class time trying to make them work because they don’t know how to use them. What does this contribute to our education? It’s a thoughtless use of money that isn’t improving the ability of the teachers and could save thousands of dollars for the district.
If cuts to the curriculum do need to be made, I believe that there are places they should come from that do not affect the core curriculum of the school, which should be regarded as the most important part of a student’s education. First and foremost, there are some classes offered that I just don’t believe are of great value and, in difficult times like these, need to be reconsidered. For example, I think that jewelry classes are great for students who enjoy them, but do there need to be four levels of it? That is something that could be taught as an after-school class at the participants’ own expense.
Furthermore, the LIFE school is a program that I believe is very effective for many students and has provided them with opportunities that they may not otherwise have had, but why should it not suffer any cuts when the rest of the school might? I feel that the program needs to be reassessed for its value based on the relatively small number of students that use it.
I recognize that Chappaqua’s special education program has always been well respected and provides wonderful opportunities for all those who require its services. And I have always been in support of the program, as I want the best for all students in the district. However, though I know it is not popular with residents in the district, and I myself am against limiting these opportunities that we give our special needs students, I believe that at a time when funds are so limited and core curriculum programs for the general student body are being threatened, we need to ensure that all the money that goes into the special education program is truly needed. And therefore, the cuts that have been proposed to the program should be seriously considered.
And something that is rarely discussed by administrators, for obvious reasons, is how much they themselves are paid. I recognize that we need many administrators to effectively run a district of Chappaqua’s size and caliber. However, I also feel that there are positions that we either do not need or are paid too much for what they do. I urge the community to examine the discrepancy in the administrators’ salaries in comparison to those of the hard working teachers.
Teachers’ pay in America is embarrassingly low
There has been much discussion recently about teachers’ pay and whether they deserve more or even what they make now. It is my opinion that the way Americans treat their teachers is embarrassing and Chappaqua is no different, even if we pay more than the national “average.”
The highest paid teacher at Greeley makes $140,500, plus benefits, and that’s simply not right. I know him very well as he was by far my favorite teacher in the school as well as a motivational and caring coach, and a mentor. He works so hard at his job to make his classes not only informative, but also truly meaningful and engaging. When you’re in a class with him it doesn’t feel so much as though he’s teaching, but rather sharing. He is extremely knowledgeable and genuinely wants to share what he knows with the next generation. And yet all we can manage to pay him, after he has been in the district for over 30 years, is $140,500. And this is only one example.
The teachers in our district have a lasting impression on students because they see them almost every day, work closely with them for an entire school year and take a true interest in helping them succeed. Teaching is not respected in this country and I don’t think people realize the effect that a truly great teacher, of which we are lucky to have many at our schools, can have on a child, and I speak from experience.
People have said that pouring money into our schools is not a guarantee of quality, and I couldn’t agree more. Yet the United States pays more for education per student than any other country in the world save Luxembourg, while paying our teachers among the lowest salaries in the world. We need to be sure of where our money is going, get far more of it to the teachers who truly deserve it and cut the programs that are really expendable.
Short-term goal: Invest in the education of your children to maintain quality
This, however, I realize is a longer-term goal that we need to work towards. Short term, the budget needs to be addressed for the coming year and we need to be wise about where our (I know, limited) money is going.
I can assure you once again though that the quality of education that students are receiving at Greeley will unquestionably decline if the teachers whose jobs are currently in jeopardy are in fact let go. And if we take a step back and look at the big picture, what better place is there to put your money than into the education of your children?
Investing in the best for them now is without a doubt the most effective way to help them to a successful future down the road. So whether it means using the fund balance to help offset the cost of this budget in these particularly tough times, or taking another look at programs that we can do without, we need to be smart about keeping the teachers who do so much for the students of our schools.
I hope people will take a closer look at the impact the proposed budget can and will have on the quality of Chappaqua’s education system if it is put in place. We are lucky to have so many fantastic teachers in our schools. Let us not throw that away because we didn’t realize that perhaps there are alternatives, or because we didn’t realize what an effect it would have.
Sincerely,
Henry Koster
Henry Koster for our new Superintendent!
Just a few challenges. $140,000 for an outstanding teacher does sound low. But adjust that for a few things. First, the benefits they receive are worth approximately $35,000 a year versus what we private sector people get (for instance, we need to put $15,500 of our own money into a 401k each year where teacher’s need to put in $0). So it’s more like $170,000. Then factor in the 38 week work year and apportion that over the 48 weeks the rest of us work, and we are talking more like $201,000. This is great compensation. But you seem to have all the important concepts down pat, much more so than many parents in our community.
Also, I would assume you would support the concept of pay for excellence, so if you are a decent but not great teacher, after 20 years you should make $x. If you are a great teacher after 20 years, you should make $x times 2!
Bravo Henry, you are one articulate and clear-thinking young man, and a model of the kind of student we should be proud of from our community!
Henry- The problem is the teachers union - not the teachers. The union dictates LIFO - It determines who goes. PERIOD! The CCSD community is NOT taking it out on teachers as you suggest. Total Student enrollment is declining. Even with budget cuts our budget is increasing-taxes continue to escalate. Targeting elementary /middle schools for cuts and leaving Greeley untouched does not address the long term issues. You are correct- we should also focus on Albany and Washington. Unions are powerful. They have the big budgets to lobby politicians and they can deliver many votes.I can write a letter/call my congressman but that pales compared to the millions of $ and millions of votes unions can lobby with.
We must grapple with our budget now and we must make cuts. Teachers jobs can be saved if the teachers union would agree to a pay freeze. Teachers would not have to cut their pay. They receive raises every year regardless of the surrounding economic conditions. If they take a freeze (Bedford did) many of our beloved teachers would be saved.
To your favorite teacher who makes $140k a year. With benefits factored in that number is closer to $175k per year for 9 months work-on an annualized basis this teacher makes closer to $230K! And he can retire at age 55 and his pension/ benefits are guaranteed for life! Obama and his colleagues have categorized an individual making more than $200k as “RICH”.
You are correct - we have great teachers and they make a lasting impression on our children. I am sure over the years you and your friends in school had some average teachers. Perhaps you had some bad teachers that just didnt care or put in the effort. We know they exist in all schools. If we should have the power and resources to save the good teachers shouldn’t we then have the same to get rid of the bad? Thats the problem with the teachers union (tenure) and the argument about “save the good”-it ignores the problems created by protecting the mediocre/bad.
Nice letter Henry, we need more parents in this town who think like you do.
For Henry and residentlongtime, you are too nice to let teachers off the hook like you do by blaming the union. We should all understand this: It is the union that does the negotiating, but the teachers fund the union, and the teachers can stop the union if they wanted to. To say it’s the union’s fault and not the teacher’s fault is to forget this connection. If the bulk of teachers wanted to be fair and reasonable and change some of these outrageous policies like fifo, they could do so. But they choose to hide behind the union because frankly it’s to their benefit. It’s my belief that many or most of the very best teachers would be fine with many of the changes we talk about (especially if they knew they would be paid more for their value as clittle says), but that the rank-and-file love the current system and its benefits and so they keep their mouths shut, pay their dues to the union (and these dues find their way into the campaign coffers of democrat politicians who protect this outrageous system for the benefit of the bribe), and then when teachers are asked why they aren’t more reasonable they point you to their union and shrug their shoulders.
This is why Henry when you say we should spend lots of time working Albany and Washington I agree with you, but I also say we should be working our teachers too. We need teacher’s like your favorite one from Greeley to tell the union “stop propagation of the LIFO method, stop supporting tenure and weak teachers, start supporting pay-for-performance principles, and stop using my dues to support a single political party (democrats) and the unethical behavior it encourages”. We want that teacher and other teachers to know that we DO NOT ACCEPT the approach they take of disassociating themselves from the very union they provide full funding for.
Don’t let teachers off the hook. They are the union!!!!
Thanks for your perspective on these issues.
Student enrollment is declining? Well, we were sold an incorrect demographic report to support the building of Seven Bridges middle school just a few years ago. The reports that the district presented predicted huge and unmanageable increases in student enrollment, with dire reports about how over crowded the Bell School would be, that necessitated this new middle school.
A lot of $ was apparently wasted to build and now to run this additional school.
Your letter was very eloquent. I am pleased that you had the courage to write it and identify yourself.I do not feel that I am willing to open myself up to the vitriol that has been posted on this topic.Unfortunately, I find your letter woefully naive and insensitive.
Your suggestion to cut at the elementary and middle levels will lead to larger class sizes. Your elementary teachers taught you the fundementals, the discipline, and inspired you to be ready to the rigor required to benefit from your education. Your middle school teachers taught you to shift from discipline to discipline throughout the day. Once again,your teachers were able to do this because the size of the class led him or her to provide you with sufficient attention. In addition, the teaching assistants that were in the room for designated students helped as well. You never had to fight for this!
Second, the phrase “younger teachers” can only have one implication: ageism. You would never say “get rid of teachers of color” would you? How old is too old? The teacher who is “past his or her prime” to you might have just be right for another student. Somehow, “younger” translates into “less expensive”. Would you go into a profession that would fire you as soon as you reached a certain age? How about the teachers who are new to the profession but have changed careers and are “older”? Older teachers mentor newer teachers. They have the experience. And they learn from the newer teachers. In addition, teachers in Chappaqua are required to continue inservice training to be familiar with the latest pedagogical techniques and theories. Furthermore, the teachers that have been here for a long time are human beings. They are probably around your parents’ age. They have children your age that have to be put through college. They have played by the rules under which they were hired.The contract protects them from ageism.
Your statement “But with no way to regularly assess performance and no risk of losing their jobs if they don’t perform” is totally inaccurate. Chappaqua teachers are subject to rigorous supervision. It is called the Annual Professional Performance Review. A poorly reviewed tenured teacher is coached for a certain amount of time (usually one year)and if no improvement is shown, the process of removal is begun. It DOES happen. Untenured teachers can be removed any time in the first three years, for poor performance. The tenure system—as well as other benefits under attack—was instituted to ATTRACT teachers to the profession. Before you were born, very few people wanted to become teachers. Poor pay, unkempt buildings, too many students, no pensions, no health insurance, cronyism, nepotism—would you work under those conditions, as a college graduate? Our jobs are protected from the above by the contract negotiated between the CCT and the Board. It attracts us to work in this district.
BRAVO JESSICAT!!!!
The teachers need to go to their union leadership and tell them that they want to preserve jobs and that this community has been very very good to them. Teachers must go to their union leadership and demand that union rules are outdated, antiquated and out of touch with the current economic environment. Teachers must demand that the union support merit pay that rewards our best and brightest teachers and it they must insist that the weaker (bad) teachers be let go while supporting the best and brightest. The teachers pay union dues and that money is used by union leadership to make political contributions and support lobbying efforts that encourage the status quo. The teachers have the power to influence their union leaders and it is time that they (along with the community) insist upon change!
I dont mind paying top dollar for top teachers but I resent that I have to pay top dollar for the weak ones. I resent that the good young teachers are let go but my tax dollars pay salaries and entitlements for the bad ones.
To Response To Henry (a teacher)-The Annual Professional Performance Review is a rubber stamp. There is little truth to “rigorous review”. If it were true there would be many more dismissals of tenured teachers. There are virtually none. That is the power of the union! You say- “A poorly reviewed tenured teacher is coached for a certain amount of time (usually one year)and if no improvement is shown, the process of removal is begun. It DOES happen”. The truth- it RARELY happens.
Why should it take a year of coaching a bad teacher in hopes that the teacher gets better? What if it were your child that had that bad teacher during this year of coaching? You want your child being taught by this individual? We have great/good teachers in our schools. We pay top dollar for the best. I dont want my child spending a critical-crucial educational year with a teacher while he/she is being coached into competence!. If after a year of coaching the teacher is still under performing the process of removal begins-That can be another year!
Workers in all professions must perform. We dont get a year of coaching – we get fired. We certainly don’t get raises! Would you want a nurse or air traffic controller looking out for you that has been identified as underperforming and being coached? Electrician wiring your house- the accountant doing your taxes?
Your argument is what angers people. Teachers are wonderful, they should be treasured but they cant all be treated equally -we cant protect the bad ones at the expense of our children. Teachers union mandates exist to protect the union leadership and its power. The teachers come next and the taxpayer and our children come in DEAD LAST!
To The teacher hiding behind Response to Henry…..CCSD has NONE of what you describe -Poor pay, unkempt buildings, too many students, no pensions, no health insurance, cronyism, nepotism. The unions were created to right those wrongs which they have successfully done. Times change. We now have laws that protect workers from unsafe-overcrowded working conditions. We have laws to protect against age, gender, and other discriminations. The unions still operate as if these laws dont exist and act as if without them teachers (and other union workers) would be taken advantage of. Unions had there time and place - those days are over!
If you know anything about our community you know we value education above all else. We support our children, their teachers, and the administration. We volunteer; we provide homes that nourish young minds. We read to our children and we send them to pre nursery, pre kindergarten, and we prepare them for formal education. We even pay for and provide tutors when they need extra help. In short we deliver to our teachers prepared and motivated young minds.
I resent the implication that we don’t appreciate teachers. I resent the notion that CCSD teachers are underpaid. Yes- teachers in Wisconsin or Ohio or NYC may be underpaid but not here! For all we pay and all we as a community put in to assist in the education of our children we deserve the best teachers (and pay for them). I don’t want LIFO removing good teachers. I don’t want bad teachers protected by tenure. I don’t want bad teachers teaching my kids while they are being coached. I don’t want bad teachers getting the same raises as the good ones. I want to reward the good teachers. AND I want the current budget to reflect the economic reality we all face. Enrollment is going lower so should our budget! We have an unnecessary middle school and we need to reconfigure grades and eliminate redundancies. And it must all be done NOW.
Not to pile on, but… Response to Henry is most likely a teacher or married to one, and the response is troubling.
First, imagine you work for Pepsico and it is time for your annual performance review. Your manager has surveyed your customers for feedback on your work over the past year, and done a “360 degree” review with your peers and employees. The manager tells you he has found many reasons for concern, outlines what they are, and tells you you have 90 days to improve and outlines a specific plan for that improvement. If you don’t follow it you will be fired. You don’t follow the plan, and so rightfully you are fired with a fair severance pay and COBRA healthcare benefits which can get you through.
Now, you are a teacher. The principal sits you down and starts your Annual Professional Performance Review. As the teacher sees the direction the principle is going in (“I am concerned about your performance and the significant negative feedba….”), you decide you don’t want to hear anymore, so you put your fingers in your ears and you say loudly “blah blah blah blah blah blah” until the principle, after 5 minutes of trying to get you to stop, walks out of the room. The principal contemplates next steps. He puts a letter in your personnel file. He writes a letter to the union. And come August, your next paycheck comes in and- poof! It’s 7.5% bigger than it was the year before! Now, back to the classroom to wreak havoc over the lives of another group of Chappaqua kids.
I’m not saying many teachers would do such a thing, but you can be certain that there are some who don’t listen to a word of their review, some who won’t even show up, and some who pretend to care but don’t change a thing. There are no consequences. Short of a major felony (and even then the union will keep your pay and increases coming) if you are tenured, you are guaranteed employment, and raises, and healthcare, and retirement pay- forever.
This system must go!
So, if a Step 5 teacher at BA+30 is making $75,211 and has a review of “excessive absences” or another negative comment, they would be given another SCHOOL YEAR to remedy the situation. During that remedial year they (Now step 6) they would make $78,134. Divide this by 26 paychecks and you’ve got $112.42 PER PAYCHECK! Whoop-te-do! I know you are going to bellow about health insurance and retirement, but as you know, they don’t put food on the table.
And I don’t know about you but I have yet to have a teacher “wreak havoc” over the life of my graduating senior. I am deeply grateful for my child’s entire educational experience for the past thirteen years.
The only blah, blah, blah is coming from…you!
Dear “By to Clittle”,
Your defense of this indefensible system shows what we are up against. There is absolutely no logic in your argument.
But let’s have some fun with this. Let’s substitute your example with a more likely one, a tenured teacher who is lousy who makes $120k per year (not including the $30-35k of fringe benefits, and not adjusting for working 38 weeks instead of 48 weeks). Now let’s add 7.5% to that one, and now we are at $129k. And compound it again by adding 7.5% yet again to $138.6k. Nice, huh? Whoop-te-do is exactly what that teacher is saying!
As for your last comment, I have actually had at least two tenured teachers who have “wreaked havoc” on my children. One in elementary school who bordered on abusive to my very sensitive and shy son to the point where I finally was allowed to change him (and with a wink and a nod, the principal acknowledged the teacher was a huge problem for all kids), and one for my daughter in high school where the woman taught advanced math and my daughter and EVERY kid in her class struggled because this tenured teacher couldn’t teach—and in this case, as you may know, the high school would not allow changes of teachers—because of they did, every single kid would have transferred out of her class. The result? A 1 year setback in my daughter’s math progress—a huge problem for an advanced high school student.
Lastly, when you make fun of an additional $112.42 per paycheck, keep in mind that the vast majority of people providing the funding for that $112.42 per paycheck multiplied by the number of the teachers in the district were having theirs left flat, their pay reduced, or losing their jobs.
Last comment for this post: Some of my kid’s teachers have been fantastic, most of my kids teachers have been good, some have been weak, and some were absolutely awful.
Mr Koster,
I question your motive for writing this letter in the first place, and especially for proposing the idea to reassess the LIFE school. You were never a member of the LIFE School Program at Horace Greeley High School. You have no knowledge as to what the LIFE School program does for the 58 students who are currently in it. A project based learning program must be small by definition. 58 students is not a small quantity regardless. Countless juniors and seniors applied to the LIFE school this year. This is a growing phenomenon within Greeley. To think that the board would reassess funding for one of Greeley’s best programs is ludicrous.
C Little,
There you go again bashing the teachers of Chappaqua.
You talk out of both sides of your mouth. The teachers are great BUT… Give me a break!!
What do you do for a living? Are you an education expert? Knowing a few teachers certainly does not qualify you to judge how hard our teachers work or what their evaluation process is like or should be.
Why don’t you stick to your low tax rant? You have that one down pat.
And by the way…the person who is in charge of a school is a principal, not a principle.
Not surprisingly, your information, like your spelling, is INACCURATE!
Well put “truth hurts”
Dear “Truth” and “Thank you”,
I’m sorry but I don’t understand how your response furthers this discussion. You mis-characterize my statements and generalize that because I criticized 2 teachers (while complimenting the vast majority) that I slammed teachers.
Instead of attacking me, my spelling (I resisted going back to your posts on this issue and others to find your spelling mistakes), and others you disagree with, how about taking the time to write a substantive counter to my arguments? You must have something else in your quiver other than ad hominen attacks, don’t you?
Lastly, for “Joe the Plumber”, you can disagree with Henry, but why do you “question the motive for writing this letter”? Do you see him as having some kind of subversive agenda? Here’s a thoughtful kid who put his name out in public and expressed his substantive and meaningful opinion (even if you or I disagree with some of it) and you “question his motive”? How about just disagreeing with him about the LIFE School and pointing out what you did instead of taking this all-too-common path that is taken out here by teachers and their supporters to attack the person?
Let’s major in substance, minor in emotion, eliminate ad-hominem attacks, and stop telling our fellow neighbors they should leave town.
So, what’s a “lousy” teacher? Are you trained to evaluate? Is it a teacher who doesn’t give your kid the grade YOU want? And that “wink and a nod” you speak of, sounds like a way to get a ranting parent off the “principle’s” (sic) back. And the “vast majority” you speak of ... how many exactly? It seems to me that the “vast majority” is doing just fine.
Tell, you what. Since you seem to be low on money, why don’t you sign on as a substitute teacher in the district? They will call you between 5-6 AM to come to a school. You can walk a mile in a teacher’s shoes—and get paid for it! Let’s see what you rant about then!
C LIttle,
When you post inflammatory remarks in a public forum, these are the types of responses you illicit. It is hard to see how you can be pro-teacher when in your last post you blast someone for “taking this all-too-common path that is taken out here by teachers and their supporters to attack the person.”
TEACHERS DID NOT CAUSE THE FINANCIAL MESS IN OUR COUNTRY! LET"S STOP BLAMING THEM!
If people in our community really support teachers and education, they should write to their elected officials in Albany and ask them to vote NO on education budget cuts and Vote YES to extend the ‘Millionaire’s Tax.”
Mayor Bloomberg , Kathy Black, Governor Walker, and Governor Christie will be dropped in an elementary school classroom for 1 school year. Each of them will be provided with a copy of his/her school district’s curriculum, and a class of 20-25 students. Each class will have a minimum of five learning-disabled children, three with A.D.H.D., one gifted child, and two who speak limited English. Three students will be labeled with severe behavior problems. Each of them must complete lesson plans at least 3 days in advance, with annotations for curriculum objectives and modify, organize, or create their materials accordingly. They will be required to teach students, handle misconduct, implement technology, document attendance, write referrals, correct homework, make bulletin boards, compute grades, complete report cards, document benchmarks, and communicate with parents. They must also stand in their doorway between class changes to monitor the hallways.In addition, they will complete fire drills, tornado drills, and lockdown drills. They must attend workshops, faculty meetings, and attend curriculum development meetings. They must also help students who are behind after school. Each day they must incorporate reading, writing, math, science, and social studies into the program. They must maintain discipline and provide an educationally stimulating environment to motivate students at all times. If all students do not wish to cooperate, the teacher will be held responsible. Lunch will be limited to thirty minutes, which is not counted as part of their work day. They will be permitted to use a student restroom, as long as another survival candidate can supervise their class.If the copier is operable, they may make copies of necessary materials before, or after, school. However, they cannot surpass their monthly limit of copies. They must also continually advance their education, at their expense, and on their own time.
“Survivor”, this is why one must have an undergrad degree from Mercy and a Masters from Manhattanville in order to become a teacher. Sounds like just an awful job. And the Summers! How do they handle the Summers? I’ll take my 60 hour a week, 48 week a year, $16,500/year of my own pocket into my 401k job any day over such suffering!
Dear Truth,
I guess I’ll try one more time and then I’ll give up. We are not blaming teachers for the economic crisis. I’ll say again, we are not blaming teachers for the economic crisis.
We are saying that their salaries are too high, that the benefits plans are out of sync with society, and their retirement plans are out of sync with society, and it is all too expensive whether we are in a boom or a bust.
We are saying teachers should have salaries, benefits, and retirement plans that reflect those of the taxpayer. They should also have personnel policies that match that of the taxpayer as well. Pay for performance, no guaranteed employment, work year round and if not have it reflected in your compensation, etc.
These are the points you refuse to address. You have not, and surely cannot, explain in a convincing manner why this profession called “teacher” should have such different characteristics. And if you choose to try to explain, you will find that every one of us could come up with a reason why our profession is special, why we deserve x, y, or z.
And while yes I have “attacked” (to use your terrible word) teachers out here, I have said it in describing a huge minority of them—the 2 that I said were terrible and known to all in the community were/are terrible (yet we can’t fire them, and seemingly the principal cannot coach them to improvement through the Annual Performance Review). I have pointed out that, to repeat words I used earlier, the majority of teachers in this town are good, some are great, and there are others our kids would be better off without.
OK, I’m ready now “Truth”. Time to lash out, attack me as a person, tell me I should leave the town.
Did you read the line about advancing their education on their own time and expense? It’s called Summer. Even “old” teachers do it! Come on and join them Jessicat! See how long you last!
There are many professions called “Banker” and “G.E. employees” who are doing just fine. As a matter of fact they are doing better than they did last year! They have turned a profit and are dealing bonuses out to their employees! Imagine that! Maybe you feel that this too is unfair to you and your family.
1) Teachers have no job mobility: they cannot look for a better offer in another district because they will not be given credit for the years of service in their present district. Some credit, maybe, but they will take a BIG pay cut. You are able to look for a better job
2) Teachers need to be protected from political mood swings, nepotism, and cronyism.
3) Teachers need a union to negotiate for them so that they can focus on the kids in their classroom.
4) Teachers have to be in service for more than twenty years to earn much less than the wild salaries you are quoting.
5) Teachers continue their educations (past the Masters level) over the summer. They lead study abroad trips, attend conferences, do research, write and present papers. Some teach summer school. others take care of their own small children.
6) If there are 10 kids in a teacher’s classroom or 28, the teacher gets paid the same amount.
7) Teachers get 3 weeks PAID vacation. Summer is unpaid. Yes, their salary is divided into 21 pay checks but again, their salaries are disproportionally lower than other professions requiring the same level of education and ongoing training.
I could go on, but I hope that I have addressed your points AGAIN. And I would be naive to think that this will change your mind.
Dear “Who is ‘We’”, (Part 1 of 3)
Thank you for a substantive response, finally! Ok, here we go, one by one:
1) Teachers have no job mobility: they cannot look for a better offer in another district because they will not be given credit for the years of service in their present district. Some credit, maybe, but they will take a BIG pay cut. You are able to look for a better job THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. THEY CAN MOVE TO ANOTHER DISTRICT AND GET FULL CREDIT FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE. AND, WHAT DISTRICT EXACTLY WOULD A CHAPPAQUA TEACHER WANT TO MOVE TO? THEY ARE IN THE TOP-3 PAYING DISTRICTS IN THE NORTHEAST!
2) Teachers need to be protected from political mood swings, nepotism, and cronyism. DON’T WE ALL!!!! WE ALL HAVE BOSSES AND EXECUTIVES AND SHAREHOLDERS AND INTRA-OFFICE POLITICS THAT SUBJECT EMPLOYEES TO ALL KINDS OF UNIQUE SITUATIONS. THIS IS A FACT OF REAL LIFE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH—EXCEPT TEACHERS.
3) Teachers need a union to negotiate for them so that they can focus on the kids in their classroom. LOL. YOU ARE KIDDING. TEACHERS NEED A UNION SO THAT THERE IS A CENTRAL POINT TO COLLECT MONEY WHICH THEN IS USED TO BRIBE—YES BRIBE—DEMOCRAT PARTY POLITICIANS TO GIVE THEM OUTRAGEOUS BENEFITS AND PROTECTIONS NONE OF US HAVE. WE WOULD ALL LOVE TO HAVE A UNION LIKE YOU GUYS DO! I ALSO WONDER WHAT A TEACHER WHO IS A REPUBLICAN IS THINKING. THEIR UNION DUES GO STRAIGHT TO DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS WHOM A REPUBLICAN LIKELY OPPOSES ON ALMOST EVERY ISSUE, AND SO THEIR FUNDS HELP THEM KEEP THEIR EXCESSIVE BENEFITS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME LAUNCHING DEMOCRATS TO VICTORY (THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT MONEY FACTOR THERE IS ARE TEACHER UNIONS) WHICH HAS THEM THEN VOTING AGAINST THAT REPUBLICANS POSITION ON EVERY ISSUE. AMAZING TO ME.
Part 2 of 3:
4) Teachers have to be in service for more than twenty years to earn much less than the wild salaries you are quoting. YES, BUT WE ALL WORKED OUR WAY UP FROM LOW SALARIES. MY OPPONENTS OUT HERE CALL EVERYONE IN CHAPPAQUA A MILLIONAIRE (MY BET IS IT’S 30% THAT ARE) BUT WHATEVER THEIR FINANCIAL STATUS IT WAS EARNED OVER TIME…AND I MEAN “EARNED”, NOT “AUTOMATICALLY GRANTED” LIKE IT IS FOR TEACHERS. I SEE A 4TH YEAR TEACHER EARNING 78,000 A YEAR (OR SHOULD I SAY PER 38 WEEKS). THAT IS VERY, VERY COMPETITIVE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, PLUS THE BENEFITS ETC HAVE TEACHERS ENDING UP WITH LOTS MORE THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
5) Teachers continue their educations (past the Masters level) over the summer. They lead study abroad trips, attend conferences, do research, write and present papers. Some teach summer school. others take care of their own small children. SOMETIMES. AGAIN I KNOW MANY TEACHERS AND HAVE IMMEDIATE RELATIVES THAT ARE TEACHERS. YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE THE CONTINUING EDUCATION IS FAR MORE FREQUENT THAN IT IS. AND, BY THE WAY, ALMOST ALL OF US MUST TAKE OUTSIDE CLASSES OR DO OUTSIDE IN DEPTH STUDYING TO KEEP UP WITH OUR INDUSTRIES AS WELL!
Part 3 of 3:
6) If there are 10 kids in a teacher’s classroom or 28, the teacher gets paid the same amount. YES, AND IT SO HAPPENS THAT THE POOR SCHLUB IN SOUTH CAROLINA WITH 30 KIDS IN HER CLASSROOM MAKES 1/4 WHAT THE LUCKY CHAPPAQUA TEACHER MAKES WITH HER CLASS OF 18 RELATIVELY WELL-BEHAVED, WELL HOME-EDUCATED KIDS.
7) Teachers get 3 weeks PAID vacation. Summer is unpaid. Yes, their salary is divided into 21 pay checks but again, their salaries are disproportionally lower than other professions requiring the same level of education and ongoing training. THIS IS SEMANTICS. IF YOU SAY SUMMER IS UNPAID, THEN A 25 YEAR TEACHER MAKES 130,000 PLUS FULL BENEFITS AND RETIREMENT FOR 38 WEEKS OF WORK. PRO-RATE THAT AND THEY MAKE $150K/YEAR. ADD TO THAT THE INCREMENTAL BENEFIT PACKAGE OF $30K. ADD TO THAT THAT IF THEY WANT TO WORK AS MANY WEEKS AS THE REST OF US DO, THEY CAN EARN ADDITIONAL MONEY IN THE SUMMER, SOMETHING WE TAXPAYERS CAN’T DO BECAUSE WE WORK 48 WEEKS A YEAR.
I could go on, but I hope that I have addressed your points AGAIN. And I would be naive to think that this will change your mind. YOU ARE RIGHT, YOU DID NOT CHANGE MY MIND, BUT AT LEAST YOU PUT UP SOME SUBSTANCE. I’M SORRY BUT I KNOW TEACHERS IN THE SOMERS, KATONAH, AND CHAPPAQUA SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO ARE FRIENDS OF MINE. I KNOW (AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE) WHAT THEIR STRESSES ARE AND AREN’T. TEACHING IS NOT EASY, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. BUT THERE IS NO EXCUSE OR EXPLANATION FOR THE WAY WE PAY AND PROVIDE BENEFITS AND EMPLOYMENT SECURITY THE WAY WE DO.
TO - Have you heard about the next planned “Survivor—-I enjoy your example of dropping Bloomberg, Black, Christie and others in a classroom of students that are learning disabled, ADHD, gifted, and many of whom dont speak English. But that has NOTHING to do with the teachers that work in CCSD. Our teachers are paid tops in the nation. Frequently, our struggling students get tutors at the parents expense. Learning disabled and AHHD kids get special resources provided outside the classroom which alleviates the teachers responsibility. For other students outside the “mainstream” we have provided (and paid for) The Life School. This too relieves the teacher of some students that dont conform and might be a burden on the teacher. So in short - lets stay on topic and that topic is teachers in Chapp Central School District. They are paid top dollar, get top entitlements, and benefits. So lets not compare inner city teachers and their challenges with our teachers cushy jobs and accompanying salaries and benefits. There is a new economic reality today. Budgets must shrink, unsustainable entitlements must end, and we can no longer allow the teachers union to impose decades old mandates that we simply can not pay for!
Freeze salaries - save jobs!
Ask Most of the residents in chappaqua if they would trade their Jobs for a teaching job in Chappaqua,they would say NO…..NOT ENOUGH MONEY! As long as someone else does it and they can BASH them its fine.
Bravo CLITTLE- its about time somebody set these people straight that proclaim teachers in CCSD as put upon, taken advantage of, mistreated and subject to all types of indignities of the work place. What worker in any work environment is not at risk for favoritism, cronyism, intra-office politics, etc? Why do people have such a tough time with the fact of life that workers are judged(sometimes unfairly) but that’s life! Generally speaking CCSD teachers are cherished and respected because the people of our community hold education as a top priority. So for all those whining about the indignities and challenges teachers would have without a union – please stop. That might apply in the inner cities or in communities that don’t support their school systems – BUT that is NOT The case in our community.
CLITTLE – please run for the CCSD Board – you will be a star!
Sigh. I knew you’d twist it.
Actually, you are totally off base as far as Special Ed is concerned. Due to previous budget cuts, Special Ed teachers no longer are present in each classroom more than a few minutes each day, as they have to rorate through each core class. There are no more “skills” classes except for the most severely disabled students. Special Ed teachers are NEVER in Foreign Language classes. Ever. The only teaching assistants are “shadows”.
And, by the way, LIFE school is not a Special Ed program. It is a highly selective Project-Based intensive program.
It is not uncommon to have a class such as described in “Survivor” with little to no support—due to budget cuts.
Our teachers are great lets support them…..I know most of us do!
This was Survivors exact description - exact words ..” in a class of 20-25 students…Each class will have a minimum of five learning-disabled children, three with A.D.H.D., one gifted child, and two who speak limited English. Three students will be labeled with severe behavior problems. Does this sound ANYTHING like the typical class a CCSD teacher has? Of course NOT - case closed.
Life School may not officially be charectirezed as “Special Ed” but its mission is to provide “alternative” education to 45 students. Anybody who undertsands the process and the program understands that most of these 45 students dont do well in traditional classrooms. LIFE School offers another approach. Its very successful but lets recognize exactly what it is.
I find it extremely pathetic that those of you who criticize the teachers and their unions for being the problem of today’s economic woes, forget that it takes 2 parties to negotiate a contract. Is the teachers union the only signature found on the contract? No! The district’s representatives are the other signatures. Why not blame them for putting your town in the financial crisis that your in? Where were you moaners 15 years ago, when the board was negotiating contractual items with your teachers? You were probably down on Wall St. reaping hoards of money so you could live in Chappaqua. While you were making millions of dollars a year,the teachers, who were educating your children, were making, $50K? You couldn’t have care less about the teachers in the district, because you were making money by the boatload. Now that some of you have lost your golden parachute, your multi-million dollar a year jobs, and your extravagant lifestyles, you attack the people who you cared least about! The ones you should be attacking is your Board of Ed, and those who represent the school district. They have twisted their horrible negotiating skills into a public undermining of the teachers. The teachers are continually conceding many previously negotiated items for the benefit of your community, and this is the thanks they get?
And BTW, the moron that posts by the name “science needs some supervision”, is obviously someone who works in the school district and doesn’t have the integrity to use their own name. What are you afraid of? One of the overpaid, recession causing teachers, might find out who your are and want to debate you in a public forum? Hide behind your veil, you coward! Unless you sign your name, your comments have no merit and should be disregarded.
I am embarrassed to have you as a neighbor in MY community.
GIVE THE TEACHERS A RAISE NOW!!!
Yes it is EXACTLY what the Inclusion program is like!!!!! Particularly in the Middle Schools! And with the budget cuts there is less and less support for these kids form Special Ed.
I think that you are confusing LIFE School with the Walkabout Program. LIFE School offers a Project-Based assessment program such as papers, presentations and group analysis. The students are guided by the teachers but produce all of their work on their own through research and discussion. They are given the opportunity to revise first drafts after meeting one-to-one with their teacher. Their work is on the college level for Forensics (they receive an AP credit for the course) and they study Economics, Journalism, Foreign Policy Modern Literature and Math. My child takes AP Foreign Language on the “Main Campus” (one hallway away). LIFE School was the first to offer an internship experience, now popular with the Main Campus as well. There are services for the handful of students with learning disabilities, but that is not the primary focus of the program. I am happy to say that as a member of LIFE school, my child has gone from a good student, cramming for the next test , to an educated, well-informed person. So, Let’s REALLY recognize it for what it is.
To Joe the Plumber:
Mr. Koster has every right to ask the board reassess the LIFE school. The fact is that LIFE school is a huge drain on funds and so it should be continuously evaluated. That’s how the system should work.
The notion that people need to be involved with a program in order to determine its efficacy is idiotic.
Henry,
I appreciate the time and thoughtfulness of this editorial. I want to point out that the ‘best and brightest’ teachers you reference happen to be both in the h.s. and at the elem and middle school levels, too. These ‘best and brightest’ have been trained to teach on the latest technologies (i.e., Smart Boards). Until recently, the district would not even support Smartboards in the elementary school and so these new ‘best and brightest’ had to find ways to work around the lack of technology. Between your suggestion of cutting at the elem and middle school in addition to cutting technology would put Chappaqua schools far behind our neighbors.
To Arnold Shwindale… Your characterization and assessment of New Castle residents as being down “on Wall St reaping hoards of millions so we can live in Chappaqua” is insulting, inflammatory and flat out incorrect. I moved here 15 years ago when I owned a small successful media company. I moved here to raise a family and the school system was a major consideration. Relatively speaking taxes were reasonable then and teachers salaries and total compensation ranked highest in the region then as now. I never worked on Wall St. 5 years ago I had to close my company and went to work for a large media company - I work in the corporate world. My wife works part time. MOST of my friends in town are NOT Wall St types. Friends that are Wall St types are caring, kind, and supportive of teachers.
I cared then and I care now about our teachers. But I also care about being able to stay in my house and have my children continue their education here. I believe we need to freeze teacher salaries (as Bedford and other districts are doing) and we must get our budget under control. Automatic raises, steps, unsustainable entitlements and guaranteed pensions are out of step with the real economic world. The only thing teachers conceded was taking a smaller raise (they still get raises) and in return they got an extension on their contract. We do agree – the BOE did a horrible job just as the did a horrible job when the pushed to build an extra middle school. I voted against that!
Mr Schwindale, your nasty portrayal does not accurate reflect me and the many friends I have in this town. We appreciate our teachers but recognize a change is needed.
Lastly, 2 CCSD teachers with 20 years working experience in district married to each other jointly make more than me and my wife do jointly. And I know many others in town who are in the same boat.
Mediaguy….So what you are saying is you are mad that two teachers with 20 years in are making more then you and your part time working wife…interesting.So this should not happen here in chappaqua? OK?
@Wow??????
I think what Mediaguy is saying is that the two teachers with 20 years in should both have their salaries frozen or cut because he and his part-time working wife don’t want to pay more in property taxes.
I would point out that there are probably many more Chappaqua residents employed on Wall St. earning over $1 million/year than there are CCSD teachers with 20 years in (or even 10 years in with enough post-BA credits to be earning more than $100K) who are married to another similarly situated teacher, but what’s the point? We all know that the majority of CCSD teachers are living on huge estates in low-tax communities while most people in Chappaqua are just getting by, taxed to death and living paycheck to paycheck.
To WOW…the point I was trying to make is that my wife and I represent many people that currently live in Chappaqua. We want to remain here but we are trying to grapple with lower incomes, lower property values, and higher taxes. If I am mad about anything it is the many comments that suggest “everyone in Chappaqua is rich” and that ” you rich people moved here for the schools so keep paying raises and benifits to teachers”. I was merely pointing out that some teachers (if married to one another) likely make more than some residents of our town. That is a fact I know first hand.
To West Ender…there you go again. Stir it up from “the other side of town”. If I read MediaGuy correctly he states that not everyone is a rich wall st worker. He certainly wasnt saying that people are living paycheck to paycheck while our teachers live in huge estates as you mockingly point out. These comments section are intended to allow readers to voice opinions, concerns, and views. People like you that twist words and meanings and sarcastically comment degrade the platform.
Westender…teachers chose their profession. Nobody forced them into their vocation. Why should it matter if they teach in an affluent community versus a middle income one? Why do you and others insist that our town is full of Wall St millionaires all who live in mansions? Look at home sales in our town over the years. You will see many many homes that sold for $600k, $700K range. They are modest in size and dont sit on acres of land. Walk thru downtown Chapp (top of the Hill area) and tell me how many mansions you see. You wont see many. People in these homes are hard working people (not Wall St millionaires) and resent your representation that everyone in town is rich and should stop complaining about teachers. If there are any complaints I hear it is about the teachers union - NOT the teachers.
Our teachers are paid top of the pay scale nationally. They are paid from our tax dollars. They benefit from the fact that they work in a district that has the homeowners willing to pay taxes that support their generous pay and entitlements. Why do you and others connect my income with their income? I chose my career path and they chose theirs. If their income is supported by our collective incomes then doesn’t it makes sense when our incomes suffer it should impact others. Why should anybody in any job be bullet proof? BTW - I am not a Wall St employee
Mediaguy, THANK YOU for your articulate statement in response to the inflammatory, angry, demeaning, and mean-spirited post by Arnold. It was nothing short of outrageous and I think we can all take comfort in thinking he is in the minority around here. But I must say this, when I read a post like his I get this feeling that there are some teachers in our district who in their private moments think we are all a bunch of wealthy Wall Street professionals (not that there is anything wrong with that) and that we all have millions, and that they think we can afford anything. I would say the vast majority of us are like you, working hard to stay in this town and pay ever-increasing taxes that exceed increases in our income. I expect and hope my thoughts about some teachers thinking this way is untrue, but it does occur to me in my uglier moments.
So many other points to make, but one important one. Arnold, the teacher’s contracts are for the most part not fairly negotiated. The teacher’s union (and other public sector unions) is flush with cash, and they take that cash and they pump it into politicians pockets (mostly Democrats) during election cycles in return for votes for their very generous contracts/benefits. It is insidious, it circumvents the purpose of our democracy, and it is killing the taxpayer all over America.
So, all you Union Bashers are running for School Board? And that’s your platform?
Brilliant Ahem! I’m speechless against such a deep, intellectual response. Can we not all tell what posts on here come from teachers? It’s “you should pay me because you are all billionaires who work on Wall Street”.
China, Cuba, and North Korea are hiring, you may want to try there!
Anyone who disagrees with Union Bashers is Communist?! Or worse yet, a Teacher?! Why don’t you run for School Board? I don’t see anyone stumbling over anyone else to register as a candidate!
I have another term for Union Basher: Cheap Labor Conservative. “Keep Labor Cheap So That We Can Maintain Our Lifestyles at Their Expense”. Now there’s a platform!
Let’s face it Ahem, you are a teacher, if not you wouldn’t support what are clearly socialist policies. Guaranteed employment, guaranteed pay increases based on seniority, guaranteed retirement, guaranteed healthcare. It’s the “state” supporting the teacher from cradle to grave. This is the way communist countries work, these are the very base characteristics of their economies.
I guess there could be other socialists in this town, but my bet still is that you are a teacher.
So, Socialism is evil, huh? Just like those evil countries, Canada, France, Norway, to name a few, where people did not lose their jobs and their pensions because of banks running amok and THE TAXPAYERS having to bail them out?!
Go ahead, jessicat, run for School Board. Use your comment above as your platform. See what kind of support you get. Good luck.
You suggest some interesting areas in which Chappaqua schools could afford to make cuts without necessarily causing the wave of protests the proposed cuts seem to be making. However, I do feel that this is a situation that we as a town, and further as a nation, placed ourselves into. Forgive my generalization but it should be noted that we as voters made the decision to place Republicans in charge of the House. As a state, we voted in a new governor. Now these same people we vociferously supported are the ones who want to cut spending in education. This is a classic issue throughout the country and certainly one with merit in this town; are you willing to sacrifice the quality of your schools to keep your tax rate where it currently is? Obviously a lot of people in Chappaqua are horrified at the idea of raising taxes. And because of this genuine fear, consequences MUST be suffered. I wish I could say I knew WHERE budget cuts should be made, but I am not an economist. But Chappaqua as a town has spoken of its fear of higher tax rates and now we must live with the ramifications of our decision.
The areas where the cuts are being made have bureaucratic motivation. I wish I could say the School Board and Greeley administration were genuinely interested in the quality of education but that, in my opinion, would be a lie. Selesnick does not fit the bill of an educator; he is built in the classic politician mold. Whenever crises arose during my time at Greeley, the administration worked quickly to cover their tracks and distance themselves from public criticism; a classic political maneuver. The intent behind the current budget cuts is to try and preserve Greeley’s so-called “reputation,” amongst American public high schools. The way to do this is to continue to spend money on unnecessary but eye-widening items like SmartBoards and iPads and laying off certain teachers the “bureaucratic” administration considers to be “dead weight.”
Sincerely,
Douglas R. Langdon
Interesting perspectives everyone has on the budgets and the teachers. I am very worried by the last post about Greeley not being involved in crises. The class of 2015 that are coming from Seven Bridges Middle in particular is full of bullies. One group of 12 girls who think they are “popular” but they only talk to each other and tease other girls will be at Greeley this Fall. Will all this bullying from this freshman class be swept under the rug I hope not.
