■ Pact tentative until school board approves; includes 9-percent salary raise
After many hours and more than 10 negotiation sessions, Benicia Teachers Association and Benicia Unified School District arrived at a tentative agreement last week, subject to final approval by BTA members and the school board.
The tentative agreement includes a 9-percent salary increase over two years. “Eight percent would be considered salary increase, and one percent to add two more days to the schedule for personal development,” Carleen Maselli, BTA president, said.
The new contract, retroactive to include the current school year and 2015-16, includes a $150-per-month health benefits increase.
Benicia teachers have been working without a contract since theirs expired in October. And the contentiousness that led to that last contract, which was for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years, spilled over into the latest negotiations, said .
“The issue was once again about … a fair salary increase,” Maselli said.
But salary was by no means the only sticking point, both she and Superintendent Janice Adams said in an interview Monday. Also in dispute was language pertaining to a workload reduction in the State Teachers’ Retirement System.
The new language “allows teachers to reduce their workload by up to 50 percent. And while you get 50 percent salary, you get the equivalent of a full year’s service credit,” Maselli said.
“And you pay into retirement as if you were a full-time teacher,” Adams added.
Medical benefits also were on the table, as was the maximum amount of students — called “contacts” — teachers must teach per day. The current number is 155, and the district wanted to allow teachers to voluntarily go over the number.
“At the secondary level we have class size limits, and we have a total contact,” Maselli said. “We were working on the agreement of going over the total contacts at the secondary level.”
Considering they had almost the entire contract open for negotiation, having four unresolved issues isn’t bad, Maselli and Adams agreed.
“Lesson learned, but there was a lot of cleanup language,” Maselli said.
“And new legislation, which made some things obsolete,” Adams said.
Yet the protracted negotiations led to teacher pickets last Wednesday as the number of hours at the negotiating table grew.
“The number of hours my bargaining team alone put in was well over 100 hours, probably closer to 150 at least of their time,” Maselli said. “Not only were they meeting with the district, but they were meeting without the district to craft language and write proposals. And we had so many articles to put together … it’s a grueling process when there’s a whole new open contract, which means everything could be on the table.”
Added Adams: “We want the contract to work for both sides. We want it to be clear.”
Regarding the 9-percent salary raise, of which 1 percent is set aside to cover the addition of two days of teacher “professional development,” Adams said, “This year there was some flexibility with the number of days the students went to school we were able to have those two days, but that flexibility ends after this year.
“We need professional development, especially with the implementation of Common Core.”
Added Maselli: “Even beyond that, when Common Core becomes second nature, it is important for teachers to have that opportunity to be able to continue to learn and develop new technology.”
The school board is tentatively scheduled to discuss, and approve, the deal May 6.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction. We’re going to have a teacher shortage, and I think that’s been acknowledged by the board. I think that’s a good thing for everybody,” Maselli said. “It’s going to help Benicia stay competitive.”
“It’s very challenging in California. Funding has increased in the last couple years, but it’s really not adequate,” Adams said. “What happens when you don’t have enough is, it becomes difficult in how you decide you are going to spend your money.
“What we need to do is increase the funding from the state.”
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What is wrong with this picture? The teachers get 9% for the next two years and we seniors get 3.2 % Social Security increase for the last FOUR YEARS!. The Bureau of Labor Statistics insists that is the cost of living increase – not 9% over two years.
http.//m.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/11/1343935/-Teacher-s-resignation-letter-Myprofession-no-longer-exists?detail=email
Posted by a very happily retired teacher who lived through this sad state of education and got out just in time: Thank you for expressing my sentiments so eloquently!
(Link correction): Thank you for expressing my perception so perfectly.
http.//m.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/11/1343935/-Teacher-s-resignation-letter-Myprofession-no-longer-exists?detail=email
Thanks for posting this, Jane. I, too, got out just in time, although my last few years were very, very difficult. I was a single woman – can’t even imagine how anyone could raise a family, esp. in Benicia or any place in CA, on what we made then and what they make now. I also retired on the day a fifth grader insisted to me that we taught them to read so, “they could take those tests.” Broke my heart, but I was glad, as you were, to get out. Don’t know what the future holds for this country. The years of anti-education and anti-teacher drumbeat is taking a severe toll – almost 60% of our teachers are within a few years of retirement, with many fewer seeking to go into a profession that is, really, no longer a real profession and which abuses its workers. We will continue our race to the bottom, rather than the top because our most gifted kids will not go into education because of the poor pay and poorer lack of support.
Thank you, jfurlong!
It seems the writing is on the wall. Some predictions are we’re moving closer to the point where all students will be plugged into computers, while a human being is present to assist with any problems that may come up. In other words, teachers won’t be necessary any longer.
Thanks jfurlong. I have to wonder how the annual ratio of total students to new teachers has changed over the last 35 years. Or, how many folks actually stick with teaching after their first few years.
Several comments made were of interest: with many fewer seeking to go into a profession that is, really, no longer a real profession
% increase = the total increase in elementary and secondary education teachers in each five year period.
Years % increase
‘80-84 1%
’85-89 6%
’90-94 6%
’95-99 12%
’00-04 5%
’05-09 2%
‘10-14 7%
’15-19 6% (PROJECTED)
Source: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/tables/dt12_004.asp
(all figures are rounded (i.e 0.65% is rounded to 1.0%, 11.6% is rounded to 12%))
Not sure about those statistics and would wonder how many of those percentages refer to districts which are hiring folks with no education experience but who might have experience in a particular field, which is becoming common. Also, most education stats show that at least 50% of new teachers leave within 3-5 years of starting, so even if there is a 15% increase in those going into teaching in a particular year, 50% of those will probably leave fairly quickly. We make no effort to retain gifted teachers, who leave in frustration and economic hardship. In addition, without sounding conceited, I was a teacher with 30+ years in education, was teacher of the year in one place I taught, was a mentor teacher for several years as well as a supervising teacher for practice teachers in my classroom. Not once, and I mean, not once, in all those years and with all those accomplishments was I ever asked what I thought could be done to solve problems in education. Not once. Nor was any other good, experienced teacher I knew ever asked, and I taught in 4 states. We were told what to do by administrators (who had either never taught in a classroom or had not been successful at it), college researchers (ditto), politicians (!!) and textbook companies. On the other hand, my daughter is presently teaching in Poland, considered one of the top 5 systems in the world. She is presented with standards and goals which are developed by the state, and is allowed to develop her own curricula, her own classroom schedules and choose her own materials. Wow! They actually think their educators know what they are doing and, as a result, she is treated with respect. Wow again.
Some excerpts from jfurlongs comments: We were told what to do by administrators… (who.. never taught…or had not been successful at it, college researchers (ditto), politicians (!!) and textbook companies.
my daughter is presently teaching in Poland…is presented with standards and goals which are developed by the state, and is allowed to develop her own curricula, her own classroom schedules and choose her own materials. Wow! They actually think their educators know what they are doing
Though we often disagree, we are on the same page here. I have long stated that the problem with education today is primarily comprised of two issues:
1) Excessive bureaucracy and administrators who seek to control and dictate to others (which your comments above indicate you see the same issues).
2) Lack of direct parental involvement.
I will touch only briefly on compensation: I have asked several times for a report or study which shows a direct correlation between money spent vs. outcome achieved.
I have seen many indicators that show no direct correlation (lower per student expenditures with higher results then those with higher per student costs).
The problem with the money vs. outcome issue is that kids are not products and schools are not factories. We use standardized testing (no other area that I know of does this to determine success) which is designed for English-speaking, middle class experienced kids. There is no alignment with improvement for each kid as opposed to improvement based on an average for the whole school or classroom. I have never heard “you can’t solve problems by throwing money at it” stated for any other area – military, medicine, R and D in industry, etc. etc. When we spend up to three times as much per prisoner than we do for kids, something is wrong. I remember telling one politician in another state one time, ‘Give me enough money so that each of my kids has a new, current textbook; a comfortable seat to sit in for 6 or 7 hours, enough to buy paper, pencils and other supplies which I buy myself, enough to make our restrooms clean, new and safe, enough money to pay me a decent wage, then get the hell out of my way and I will give you the best schools in the world once again.” Never happened. On another front: my daughter in Poland just informed me that one of her first graders was awarded the highest score for an all-Poland English test. AND, she did it without the administrator telling he what to do or a politician telling her what to use. She will, she tells me, never teach in the US again. Another gifted teacher down the tubes for us.
Thanks again, jfurlong!
Please continue to post your thoughts.and experiences.
Your statement that fewer people are seeking to go into a profession that is “…no longer a real profession and which abuses its workers…” Really hit home.
Generally, teachers are sheep in fear of losing their livelihoods. They need to suck up the idiocy of what they’re told, and conform to dictated standards. No one in power truly cares what teachers think.
Any teacher who does not see that they’re being abused, when expected to work extra long hours for peanuts and shut up about it, is either fooling themselves or has their head in the ground.
fewer people are seeking to go into a profession
The information above contradicts that statement. Do you have any actual documentation to support the statement?
when expected to work extra-long hours for peanuts
Benicia Unified School District :
Number of Full Average Salary Plus
Time Teachers Salary Benefits
217 $67,000 $83,000
145 at least: $75,000 $91,000
19 at least: $80,000 $103,000
Principals and VP:
16 $112,000 $130,000
Column Headings are:
Number of full time teachers
Average Salary
Salary Plus Benefits.
All information is public and available on line..
DDL: this information conveniently supports your point, except that the salaries shown are for teachers who have been at it for years and years and many close to retirement. Where are the salaries for the teachers earning (not clearing) mid 20k? Where is all the overtime for which none are compensated? Why did my son make $90,000 /year teaching in New York after 5 years while I was still making $30,000 LESS THAN THAT after 23 years? And last, my guess is that you would not have left this post if you worked as a classroom teacher for a few years. Only then would I accept your challenging the word peanuts for compensation.
I have heard all these “arguments” before, too, Jane. I had one particularly critical friend who decided to – get this – sub while getting some college courses. I couldn’t wait. He lasted about 4 or 5 days before admitting he had been blowing smoke, had no idea what was really involved in teaching, apologized profusely, etc. etc. I read about one district – I think it was in OH – a few years ago which required all school board members to spend at least a full week in a classroom. The results were pretty obvious to a teacher. Most of them became advocates for educators instead of critics and money was rechanneled into classrooms and away from administration! Wish all districts had such a requirement!
Try Marin County.
Where are the salaries for the teachers earning (not clearing) mid 20k?
The average salary given includes all salary ranges for full time teachers. Part time and subs are not included.
DDL: transparentcalifornia.com
Is this discussion about salary or conditions. If it is about salary I can say that three members of my family are teachers. Never complain about salary. Yes they do comment that from district to distrct there is a salary difference. If you are in a higher paying school district moving up to say a VP in a different district it may even pay less. or maybe not more than present salary. That is the individuals choice..
Jane,
Thank you.
That one of the websites I I used for the information I posted. The data can be downloaded as an excel spread sheet.
DDL – from just one study. There are many more:
A new report, published by the Alliance in collaboration with the New Teacher Center (NTC), a non-profit that helps schools and policymakers develop training for new educators, found that about 13 percent of the nation’s 3.4 million teachers move schools or leave the profession every year, costing states up to $2 billion. Researchers estimate that over 1 million teachers move in and out of schools annually, and between 40 and 50 percent quit within five years.
The high turnover rates are sometimes due to layoffs, “but the primary reason they leave is because they’re dissatisfied,” said Richard Ingersoll, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania whose research on teacher retention was published in the report. Teachers say they leave because of inadequate administrative support and isolated working conditions, among other things. These losses disproportionately affect high-poverty, urban and rural schools, where teaching staffs often lack experience.
Thanks, jfurlong.
This: “Teachers say they leave because of inadequate administrative support and isolated working conditions, among others things.”
The disparity between administrator and teacher pay is mind boggling. Teachers work so much harder than administrators!
The worst working conditions I experienced were where the principal was lazier than I imagined possible and the teachers were the hardest-working souls ever.
The support we received was lip service and nothing more, which was true of all principals I knew in my career.
My 95-year-old mother was a teacher for 24 years in California. Her biggest complaint was/is about the absence of support from the principals. She still talks about how difficult that was!
Isn’t it about time for a change?
“The worst working conditions I experienced were when the principal was lazier than I imagined possible and the teachers were the hardest working souls ever.”
Unfortunately, that was also a staff with the lowest morale I’d seen. Things are not as rosy as principals will have the public believe.
Imagine the amazing, quality teaching we’d have if teachers were shown the respect that matters: Giving them the same compensation administrators receive.
And imagine a school district that adheres to the goals and practices of experienced teachers rather than those of politicians (which include administrators).
Considering the district runs in the high nineties in graduation percentage, it could be concluded that the cost/benefit ratio is extremely efficient. High graduation rates are linked to real estate value, in my opinion.
. “High graduation rates are linked to real estate value, in my opinion.”
Good point , Stan. However, this may not be the case in Benicia, as real estate values have suffered a painfully slow rebound in comparison to values in other parts of the Bay Area.
The City suffers because of the County it is in. Property values wil;l never keep pace with the folks across the bridge. just an observation.. Does not have anyhing to do with the very well educated and very fine people in Benicia. Choosing to live in Benicia is a very good choice.