Southern York County Life

Here you go:

http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_9989918?IADID=Search-ydr.inyork.com-ydr.inyork.com

I think what the board is offering is more than fair.  But I also understand that the union has to shoot for the moon....you can’t get what you don’t ask for.  The most ridiculous thing(s) I see them asking for involve health care costs and providing healthcare past the 12 week FMLA period.  Who else does that?  if you choose to take off more than 12 weeks with your newborn, there are sacrifices that you must be prepared to make financially.  As for health care, costs are going up for everybody, its a sad fact of life and employers can not afford to pay the majority forever.  I remember years ago working for Giant at the corporate level and having 100% of healtcare paid.  When they started making us pay, even a little, everyone was very angry.  Each employer I have worked for has been more than fair when you look at it rationally - some better than others of course.  Best systems I have seen are where employees take responsiblity for their health in that they choose coverage based on use.  Those that run to the emergency room for every sniffle, pay more, those who stay proactive in their health but go to the docs only when needed or for yearly physicals, pay less.  There is always that gray area for those with chronic illnesses.

I don’t necessarily have an issue with the pay raises the union is proposing though 7% of 70,000 is much differant than 7% of 35,000.  Maybe the teachers at the lower end of the scale should get a boost so that starting/middle salaries are higher......but then again, unions may not do it that way.  I think teachers deserve their salaries.  BUT they need to concede on healtchcare costs.

--- Salaries: The board is offering increases of 4.93 percent, 4.44 percent, 4.38 percent and 4.38 percent over the next four years, while the union seeks raises of 7 percent, 6 percent, 5 percent and 5 percent.

Wow, wish I could get that kind of raise. I’ve gotten 2 something and 3 something on average.

--- Employee health insurance: The board proposes teachers pay slightly less than 10 percent of the total cost of health care coverage and pay greater co-pays for
prescription drugs and doctor visits. The union’s proposal would decrease what teachers pay for health care by steadily increasing the percent that the district would pay for employees.

Better than most folks..

--- Retiree health insurance: The board wants retirees who continue to receive health care coverage through the district to give the $100 monthly reimbursement they get from the state to the district. The union is not receptive to the proposal.

Free health ins. AFTER you retire?? Get real…

--- Tuition reimbursement: The district uses the Penn State tuition rate to reimburse teachers for course work. The board wants to change to the Millersville tuition rate to save money for the district without causing teachers any significant out-of-pocket expense after reimbursement. The union wants to keep the Penn State rate.

OK

--- Child-rearing leave: The district pays teachers’ health care while on child-rearing leave, costing up to $14,000 per year for one teacher. The board wants to eliminate the practice while allowing teachers to continue healthcare coverage for 12 weeks under the federal Family Medical Leave Act. The union rejects this proposal.

Ehhh..kinda mixed on this one…

--- Length of work day: The board seeks to add 15 minutes to the teachers’ workday, making it 7 hours and 45 minutes, like many other districts in York County. The union will accept the longer work day if the board shortens the work year and increases opportunities for teachers to be excused from work.

Come on, you already only work 190-some days, as opposed to most of us working 250-some 8.5 hour days, and still make pretty decent money. Excused from work?? Ummm, you get the summer off…

Okay so go ahead and bash my comments all you want, I stand by them. And for the record, I have a lot of friends who are teachers and my cousin has her PHd and teaches.

Chris, my exact thoughts when I read what the union wanted.  I truly am in the wrong career!

LJH - 27 July 2008 02:35 PM

Chris, my exact thoughts when I read what the union wanted.  I truly am in the wrong career!

Yeah I knew I shouldn’t have switched from elem ed to criminal justice!!

I need to see a teacher’s rep take on this.  There is always two sides, and this certainly paints a picture of the district being completely reasonable and the mean old teacher’s union insisting on everything.

I support the teachers, but some of the things here just make me shake my head in wonder.

I teach in Baltimore County and this deal is SWEET!  Our county executive and school board Just Said NO to a 2% raise for ONE year because they said they don’t have the money.  If they don’t, they don’t.  Our district does not have the money for any raise AT THIS TIME.  Health care - our prescription costs have gone up and so have our health care costs.  We do have a 3 tier system.  Tuition costs - we JUST (last year) got our reimbursement to $250 per credit.  Before that it was $150 (I think, it’s been awhile since I asked for reimbursement).  We can take inservice courses for NOTHING and get MSDE credit which is used to help get pay raises (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate).  There are courses available to our district’s teachers that is the equivalent to BCPS inservice courses for free!  Just look up Act 48 through the SESD website.
Many, many people do not get raises every year.  It’s tight for everyone.  I do not sympathize with SESD teachers in this area.

What ever the percentage of the raise is, it’s not the same for everyone.  If a beginning teacher making $37,000 recieved the same raise as an experienced teacher making $60,000 than the inexperienced teacher would never catch up to the veterans who have years of experience and increased education.  Therefore a 4% raise might equate to the veteran teachers only recieving 2% and the newer teachers more than 4%.  4% is an average. 

Tuition reimbursement: Last contract negotiations the school board reduced the number of credits from 12 to 9, but increased the tuition from Millersville’s rate to Penn State’s.  Why change after only 4 years?  Being a school in York County, many teachers have started Master’s programs at Penn State.  At 9 credits per year it takes 4 years to earn the Master’s at Penn State.  If not Penn State, many teachers have chosen for the Master’s Equivalency from PDE.  Does one have more value than the other?  If so, than the school board was correct 4 years ago and should stay the course.

Child-rearing leave: “The district pays teachers’ health care while on child-rearing leave, costing up to $14,000 per year for one teacher. The board wants to eliminate the practice while allowing teachers to continue healthcare coverage for 12 weeks under the federal Family Medical Leave Act. The union rejects this proposal.” Ambiguous at best, if not just stretching the truth.  As of now, teachers can take 52 weeks of leave.  So reducing to 12 weeks means the teachers would be giving up on 40 weeks of a benefit.

What ever the percentage of the raise is, it’s not the same for everyone.  If a beginning teacher making $37,000 recieved the same raise as an experienced teacher making $60,000 than the inexperienced teacher would never catch up to the veterans who have years of experience and increased education.  Therefore a 4% raise might equate to the veteran teachers only recieving 2% and the newer teachers more than 4%.  4% is an average

By this logic, a teacher need not improve or advance to a higher level teacher in order to begin to make as much money as a more experienced teacher.  I dont see how a cost of living raise can be applied inequally to teachers just because of thier experience and current salary level.  The way a teacher should be progressing through the salary ranks is through merit, not simply by marking time.

dittohead - 04 August 2008 10:00 AM

What ever the percentage of the raise is, it’s not the same for everyone.  If a beginning teacher making $37,000 recieved the same raise as an experienced teacher making $60,000 than the inexperienced teacher would never catch up to the veterans who have years of experience and increased education.  Therefore a 4% raise might equate to the veteran teachers only recieving 2% and the newer teachers more than 4%.  4% is an average. 

Tuition reimbursement: Last contract negotiations the school board reduced the number of credits from 12 to 9, but increased the tuition from Millersville’s rate to Penn State’s.  Why change after only 4 years?  Being a school in York County, many teachers have started Master’s programs at Penn State.  At 9 credits per year it takes 4 years to earn the Master’s at Penn State.  If not Penn State, many teachers have chosen for the Master’s Equivalency from PDE.  Does one have more value than the other?  If so, than the school board was correct 4 years ago and should stay the course.

Child-rearing leave: “The district pays teachers’ health care while on child-rearing leave, costing up to $14,000 per year for one teacher. The board wants to eliminate the practice while allowing teachers to continue healthcare coverage for 12 weeks under the federal Family Medical Leave Act. The union rejects this proposal.” Ambiguous at best, if not just stretching the truth.  As of now, teachers can take 52 weeks of leave.  So reducing to 12 weeks means the teachers would be giving up on 40 weeks of a benefit.

Pay raise:  Whatever the percentage of the pay raise, it is across the board - all teachers receive the same percent increase.

Tuition reimbursement:  Penn State’s Graduate per credit rate is between $616 and $755, depending on the degree.  Millersville Graduate per credit rate is $345.  Most classes are 3 credits.  Do the math.  Teachers can attend any accredited school - they’ll just have to pay the difference between Millerville’s rate and the school of their choice. 

Child-rearing leave:  I think 12 weeks of paid insurance is extremely generous.  I retired from a major national corporation.  The company continued to pay its portion of all insurance premiums for 6 weeks after the child was born.  If the employee elected additional leave beyond the 6 weeks, the employee was then responsible for 100% of the insurance premiums.  When the employee returned to work, the company resumed its portion.

Pay raise:  Whatever the percentage of the pay raise, it is across the board - all teachers receive the same percent increase.

Tuition reimbursement:  Penn State’s Graduate per credit rate is between $616 and $755, depending on the degree.  Millersville Graduate per credit rate is $345.  Most classes are 3 credits.  Do the math.  Teachers can attend any accredited school - they’ll just have to pay the difference between Millerville’s rate and the school of their choice. 

Child-rearing leave:  I think 12 weeks of paid insurance is extremely generous.  I retired from a major national corporation.  The company continued to pay its portion of all insurance premiums for 6 weeks after the child was born.  If the employee elected additional leave beyond the 6 weeks, the employee was then responsible for 100% of the insurance premiums.  When the employee returned to work, the company resumed its portion.

In theory, all teachers do deserve the same percent increase.  But last year’s 1st year teacher will be a second year teacher this year.  A teacher at the top of the salary chart, remains at the top.  As a result, last year’s 1st year teacher will get a larger %. 

If SESD has 200 teachers making an average of $50,000 per year, than total salary equals 10 million.  4% increase brings the total to 10.4 million or a $400,000 increase.  Average increase would be $2000, but that is just an average. 

As taxpayer’s the total amount paid is what is important.  Getting into the nitty gritty that teacher A makes $40,000 while teacher B makes $65,000 is really too far into the weeds.  The total amount of all the salaries is what is negotiated.  I got that from listening to the Bob Durgan show on am580 this spring during my commute to Harrisburg when a greater Harrisburg Area School District had an impending strike.

Having a competitive beginning salary helps to attrack good candidates to interview and make the drive to Fawn Grove, Delta, or Stewartstown.  At $4.00 a gallon, SESD’s proximity can be a hinderance. 

Having a competitive career salary helps to ensure good teachers decide to stay their career at SESD.

By competitive, I don’t mean the highest, but it should be within range of neighboring school districts.

So you are saying that a teacher at the top of the scale does not receive a 4% COL raise if the union negotiates it?  Why not?

dittohead - 07 August 2008 02:18 PM

In theory, all teachers do deserve the same percent increase.  But last year’s 1st year teacher will be a second year teacher this year.  A teacher at the top of the salary chart, remains at the top.  As a result, last year’s 1st year teacher will get a larger %.

I looked at the current contract and figured the increases year to year for the lowest and highest on the salary scale.  Both got the same % increase.  The lowest salary’s actual dollar amount is less than the increase for the highest salary...because it is a percentage.