Posted on February 20 at 10:25 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
benthinkin, good point. We all want to compare to somebody else. Now... do we compare teachers to teachers who live in communities with varying cost of living expenses, or do we compare teachers to shoe salesmen, doctors, plumbers, McDonalds cashiers, and lawyers. Let's compare apples to apples instead of apples to steak. Better yet, let's look at the JSD money practices and what the JEA wants to maintain for its membership and see what is needed versus what is wanted based on sound off comments.
Posted on February 20 at 10:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'm trying to reduce my thinking to "cuz i have to" and "if it's good enough for me" thinking like so many others have stated. It doesn't make me look very smart, reading the blog now. But neither does the two philosophies stated here. Look at the numbers. Look at the need. Your taxes are safe. The district is already raising as much money as it can off of taxes. Look at all the districts calling for referendums to cover yearly cost overruns of 500k, 750k. Don't compare these referendums to capital improvements like building additions. Because the district cannot raise anymore money, they continually threaten to cut more programs and teachers. Get off of the my taxes will go up bandwagon. They are going up as much as they can to begin with. If the revenue cap is at 10% increase, the district will raise 9.99%. Now the only question is if they cover our insurance or pay for a $112,000 daycare coordinator.
Posted on February 20 at 9:13 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'm weary of saying this, but we'll see if it makes the "cuz I have to crowd" happy. If I make 30k a year, why don't they pay me 47k and just make a box on my check stub says "health care" and deduct 17k per year from that. Then I can say "cuz I have to" just like everyone else. Then we can get down to actual pay. What the board offers would say I make 31k and then they subtract from that anyways. It's a net loss. Why should we accept that. Maybe the extra box in the check stub would make some of the community happy, just as long as I don't make more than them.
On School board responds to teachers
Posted on February 19 at 11:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
As stated from another post: Reasons for teachers to pay healthcare:
A. To raise awareness of healthcare costs
B. What's good enough for you is good enough for me
C. Cuz everyone else is doing it
D. The district wants more money for the slush fund
E. All of the above
Notice none of these state numbers or a NEED for premiums, just a DESIRE by the board and Evert. Perhaps if the board ever gave us more than their desire, the JEA would listen.
Snerd: Your taxes are not going to go up or down based on the teacher contract. Revenue caps are in place to prevent that from happening any more than they already do. The money is already there in the form of years of surplusses on healthcare. We're not asking for the cash in return, just keep the healthcare surplus in the healthcare fund. There is no NEED to pay healthcare based on the district's continual over estimating.
On School board responds to teachers
Posted on February 19 at 11:02 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
snerd: Trying to keep it as PC as I can, but have you considered comparing demographics of communities. Race, family composition, family INCOME are all indicators of how a child may perform on tests. I am not trying to perpetuate stereotypes, this is well known data. That is why school districts set goals of improving performance of certain demographics. They have looked at the data and see a group that needs improvement. Janesville is not Middleton. Beloit is not Waukesha. Parkview is not Milwaukee. This is why performance-based pay, while good in theory, is not practical. It punishes teachers for working in say.. a low income neighborhood. Students may do good, but statistically speaking they are less likely.
On Whose money? Question stalls teacher talks
Posted on February 19 at 7:29 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Sluggo: answer
A. To raise awareness of healthcare costs
B. What's good enough for you is good enough for me
C. Cuz everyone else is doing it
D. The district wants more money for the slush fund
E. All of the above
Notice none of these state numbers or a NEED for premiums, just a DESIRE by the board and Evert. Perhaps if the board ever gave us more than their desire, the JEA would listen.
On School board responds to teachers
Posted on February 19 at 5:01 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Mark Vechinsky into the column of "cuz everyone else has to." At least look at the numbers DV, many pay cells would be better off taking the 2% that Evert was so kind to remind us of and not pay premiums. Easy for Vechinsky to sit back and tell us what we need to take; he retired from teaching before it got nasty. Enjoy your benefits you fought for and now want to take away.
On Whose money? Question stalls teacher talks
Posted on February 18 at 4:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
"as Janesville's reputation declines, we will get the shallow end of the pool: the rookies, the leftovers, the ones who haven't been able to keep a job for more than the 2-3 year probationary period. There will be good teachers out of that pool, but less of them." At no point do I make reference to my current coworkers and I did mention that there will still be good ones. It only makes sense that if Janesville is not one of the better places to teach, the experienced, proven teachers may be more likely to look elsewhere. P.S. I regret lowering myself to name calling. I just need to leave the "it's the system that's at fault" blogs alone because nobody will convince me that you are not accountable for your own actions. Sorry for lowering myself and for taking the focus off the topic.
On Whose money? Question stalls teacher talks
Posted on February 17 at 9:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
District wellness plan: 4:00 get blood pressure and cholesterol checked. 4:30 Find out you are extremely unhealthy. 5:00 Go out for fish fry wrapped in baccon and a night on the town. But congratulations: You've just qualified for a discount on healthcare because you participated in hoop number 127 of 400 hoops the district puts you through in the course of a year. Give me a break.
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On School board responds to teachers
Posted on February 20 at 11:29 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
seabee: let me know what your compensation package is so I know what I'm eligable to get. Look at the numbers and stop the good enough for me/good enough for you nonsence.