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Are we surprised that the paper wrote a critical editorial? The S-T and Jack Spillane are notoriously anti-teacher. I voted to support the counter proposal. I still believe it was the wisest course of action. It would have saved some positions, scored some PR points, and was a good foundation for upcoming negotiations. However, the general membership rejected any concessions. While I disagree with the vote, I respect the decision.
I want to ask the public-would work over time each day and not get paid for you efforts? Would you go into your job a hour early and stay a few hours after work without pay? Would you work at home a few more hours each night for the next day, without getting paid ?Would you not accept a raise that is due to you so you can afford to pay a huge student loan? Would you spend a good chunk of your pay each week so the students can have the necessary items to learn because the parents certainly don't provide the essentials! Would you?
The newspaper piece was terribly one-sided, as always. I was ready to vote for the counter proposal until we learned that the superintendent couldn't guarantee that the monies would be used to save positions. Perhaps the newspaper needs to know that piece of the puzzle.
To the second anonymous poster: Many, MANY people in the private sector took pay CUTS (that's cuts as in minus, not freezes) in order to keep companies solvent and stay employed. I can think of four major local employers who made pay cuts of 5% or 10% this year. The NBEA membership acted in its own best interest on this one-- big shock-- but I really don't think anyone is going to get far trying to drum up public sympathy. I think this editorial is right on, unfortunately.
The ST should perish as all poorly written newspapers do. How sad....while Scott Brown decides international business interests(no tax increases) are more important than our educational system, the local paper has this attitude?
why are we the first ones to complain about class size and this and that and when we can finally help we continue to be selfish and only think about ourselves. no wonder why new bedford is the way it is, the teachers are just as selfish as the students. good vote everyone.
Education Jobs Bill money will replace what New Bedford lost. The position of coach is lost for now. Coaches will return to the classroom. Obviously if you are a coach you are not happy to lose your role, but class size won't change. No one is being selfish, you and others are just choosing to ignore the fact that enough money is on the way and a pay cut was not necessary. Why would someone vote for a pay cut when they know funding is being funneled in to the system. Here is as simple as I can make it. The district stated that a pay cut would save $3 million. And the waters would stop rising and the earth would be at peace. The US Congress voted to send $10 billion to the states...which with very simple math equates to approximately $5.5 million to New Bedford. Now if the world of New Bedford would have been salvaged with $3 million dollars at the cost of each teacher losing thousands then why would the world of New Bedford be saved with $5.5 million that wasn't even part of the discussion when the school committee asked for concessions. It was not discussed because at that point it did not exist...but now it does. These teacher haters remind me of soldiers still fighting a war because they have not been told it ended peacefully. New information changes the game, if you are unaware of the new details that are game changers then you are simply ignorant.
Yes-- there is money coming. But a pay freeze could have saved young teachers AND the coaching positions. That would have been close to $9 m total, between the freeze and the federal money.
Hope you all have fun at that awful PD day in August. Man, I would have taken the furlough just to not have to be crammed into the NBHS auditorium listening to another asinine speech.
A freeze or furlough was appropriate since the agreement would have included an opt out if and when extra monies arrived. That nullifies your argument that you voted No because of pending funds.
There is a lack of trust between the teachers and central administration. When you attend the school committee meetings and you listen to the constant changing numbers it makes you leery of what is really going on. When no-one downtown understands what is going on, we have problems. We had no guarantees for anything and we have no checks and balances. I have no respect for them, and they certainly have no respect for me.
When you have been around as long as some of us you will understand the old saying: "Don't believe what you hear and only half of what you see."
I am still waiting to see the benefits of the savings from us in good faith changing our health insurance. Remember the promise that the savings would go to teachers in the form of raises? Well it didn't happen. Why should I believe that by giving up my contractual step and raise or taking a three day cut in pay it would save jobs as promised???
The paper puts the onus on teachers and Unit B administrators. The central administration and the school committee puts the onus on the teachers and Unit B administrators. The principals put the onus on teachers and Unit B administrators. The younger teachers put the onus on teachers and Unit B administrators. I, for one, am glad that the NBEA voted to not allow the NBSD and the school committee to "go to the well" of the backs of NBEA members for a bailout. I remind those who are interested that the vote was three and a half to one in favor of not accepting the proposal, with only one third of the membership present. This tells me there are a large number of experienced teachers and Unit B administrators who share my distrust. I am also glad that the very real possibility of funding will come to NB and allow for jobs to be restored. I also would like to remind colleagues that this is the last year of the contract and we will begin thinking about negotiations soon. Rest assured the powers that be will cry broke and want to take something back and/or offer little or no raises. Imagine where we would be had we froze steps and/or raises and/or lost 3 days pay. I think we have set the stage that we deserve to be treated with respect and paid like the professionals we are. Maybe someday it will actually happen.
I had a dream last night and in my dream all the people who constantly condemned the teachers had to switch jobs with us for a month-I think Mr spilliane was the first to wimp out. Anyway, many couldn't last the day never mind the month teaching their own unruly children. We switched roles with these people and we started to blame these new teachers for our childrens'upbringing knowning full well that kids mirror parent's behavior. When many "wimped" out only after a few days, we went back to work and were actually acknowledged with respect! Boy what a fantasy dream that was!
It would seem that some of the comments posted on this blog are not doing much to endear teachers to the public. The infighting and whining doesen't need to be aired on a blog.
16 comments:
Are we surprised that the paper wrote a critical editorial? The S-T and Jack Spillane are notoriously anti-teacher.
I voted to support the counter proposal. I still believe it was the wisest course of action. It would have saved some positions, scored some PR points, and was a good foundation for upcoming negotiations.
However, the general membership rejected any concessions. While I disagree with the vote, I respect the decision.
I want to ask the public-would work over time each day and not get paid for you efforts? Would you go into your job a hour early and stay a few hours after work without pay? Would you work at home a few more hours each night for the next day, without getting paid ?Would you not accept a raise that is due to you so you can afford to pay a huge student loan? Would you spend a good chunk of your pay each week so the students can have the necessary items to learn because the parents certainly don't provide the essentials! Would you?
As factually challenged and one dimensional as usual.
Democratically, Unit A and B made a decision. I respect the decision because I respect democracy.
The newspaper piece was terribly one-sided, as always. I was ready to vote for the counter proposal until we learned that the superintendent couldn't guarantee that the monies would be used to save positions. Perhaps the newspaper needs to know that piece of the puzzle.
To the second anonymous poster: Many, MANY people in the private sector took pay CUTS (that's cuts as in minus, not freezes) in order to keep companies solvent and stay employed. I can think of four major local employers who made pay cuts of 5% or 10% this year. The NBEA membership acted in its own best interest on this one-- big shock-- but I really don't think anyone is going to get far trying to drum up public sympathy. I think this editorial is right on, unfortunately.
The ST should perish as all poorly written newspapers do. How sad....while Scott Brown decides international business interests(no tax increases) are more important than our educational system, the local paper has this attitude?
why are we the first ones to complain about class size and this and that and when we can finally help we continue to be selfish and only think about ourselves. no wonder why new bedford is the way it is, the teachers are just as selfish as the students. good vote everyone.
Education Jobs Bill money will replace what New Bedford lost. The position of coach is lost for now. Coaches will return to the classroom. Obviously if you are a coach you are not happy to lose your role, but class size won't change. No one is being selfish, you and others are just choosing to ignore the fact that enough money is on the way and a pay cut was not necessary. Why would someone vote for a pay cut when they know funding is being funneled in to the system.
Here is as simple as I can make it.
The district stated that a pay cut would save $3 million. And the waters would stop rising and the earth would be at peace. The US Congress voted to send $10 billion to the states...which with very simple math equates to approximately $5.5 million to New Bedford. Now if the world of New Bedford would have been salvaged with $3 million dollars at the cost of each teacher losing thousands then why would the world of New Bedford be saved with $5.5 million that wasn't even part of the discussion when the school committee asked for concessions. It was not discussed because at that point it did not exist...but now it does. These teacher haters remind me of soldiers still fighting a war because they have not been told it ended peacefully. New information changes the game, if you are unaware of the new details that are game changers then you are simply ignorant.
http://www.dianeravitch.com/nea_speech.html
take the time to listen to a great thinker who moved from the wrong side of reforming education in America.
Yes-- there is money coming. But a pay freeze could have saved young teachers AND the coaching positions. That would have been close to $9 m total, between the freeze and the federal money.
Hope you all have fun at that awful PD day in August. Man, I would have taken the furlough just to not have to be crammed into the NBHS auditorium listening to another asinine speech.
A freeze or furlough was appropriate since the agreement would have included an opt out if and when extra monies arrived. That nullifies your argument that you voted No because of pending funds.
There is a lack of trust between the teachers and central administration. When you attend the school committee meetings and you listen to the constant changing numbers it makes you leery of what is really going on. When no-one downtown understands what is going on, we have problems. We had no guarantees for anything and we have no checks and balances. I have no respect for them, and they certainly have no respect for me.
When you have been around as long as some of us you will understand the old saying: "Don't believe what you hear and only half of what you see."
I am still waiting to see the benefits of the savings from us in good faith changing our health insurance. Remember the promise that the savings would go to teachers in the form of raises? Well it didn't happen. Why should I believe that by giving up my contractual step and raise or taking a three day cut in pay it would save jobs as promised???
The paper puts the onus on teachers and Unit B administrators. The central administration and the school committee puts the onus on the teachers and Unit B administrators. The principals put the onus on teachers and Unit B administrators. The younger teachers put the onus on teachers and Unit B administrators. I, for one, am glad that the NBEA voted to not allow the NBSD and the school committee to "go to the well" of the backs of NBEA members for a bailout.
I remind those who are interested that the vote was three and a half to one in favor of not accepting the proposal, with only one third of the membership present. This tells me there are a large number of experienced teachers and Unit B administrators who share my distrust. I am also glad that the very real possibility of funding will come to NB and allow for jobs to be restored. I also would like to remind colleagues that this is the last year of the contract and we will begin thinking about negotiations soon. Rest assured the powers that be will cry broke and want to take something back and/or offer little or no raises. Imagine where we would be had we froze steps and/or raises and/or lost 3 days pay. I think we have set the stage that we deserve to be treated with respect and paid like the professionals we are. Maybe someday it will actually happen.
I had a dream last night and in my dream all the people who constantly condemned the teachers had to switch jobs with us for a month-I think Mr spilliane was the first to wimp out. Anyway, many couldn't last the day never mind the month teaching their own unruly children. We switched roles with these people and we started to blame these new teachers for our childrens'upbringing knowning full well that kids mirror parent's behavior. When many "wimped" out only after a few days, we went back to work and were actually acknowledged with respect! Boy what a fantasy dream that was!
It would seem that some of the comments posted on this blog are not doing much to endear teachers to the public. The infighting and whining doesen't need to be aired on a blog.
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