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On the article District 303, Teachers OK 3-Year Contract
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On the article District 303, Teachers OK 3-Year Contract
Ted Schnell
10:03 am on Thursday, May 23, 2013
There's also a long and storied history about the evolution of pay for public employees that touches on such factors as job instability related to management by an elected body whose membership changes at the whim of voters, nepotism and cronyism by elected officials, vendetta campaigns in which a candidate's run for office has, among its purposes, the intent of firing a teacher, a cop, a public works employee, etc.
I don’t think the distinction you draw between a for-profit business and a government agency is very realistic, even while I understand the rationale behind that belief. Marketplace economics is the overriding factor.
Consider this: Teachers for a long, long, long time in this nation were among the poorest-paid professions. Actually, when I moved to Wyoming from Illinois in 1984, teacher pay was just beginning to become a liveable wage. In the early 1970s, I believe few teachers earned more than $6,000 or $7,000 a year and most worked part-time jobs year-around to support their families. I believe a starting teacher's salary when I left in 1990 was a little more than $18,000.
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On the article District 303, Teachers OK 3-Year Contract
Ted Schnell
9:57 am on Thursday, May 23, 2013
Honestly Tom, I see little difference whether it's a government entity or a private business that is the employer. People deserve a fair wage for the work they do. Today, I believe more and more that a fair wage is the exception rather than the rule, unless you’re a CEO somewhere.
Regardless, salaries are a cost of doing business whether you're a for-profit business or a government entity, and the fact is that the marketplace has a greater impact on wage than profitability. Wages are higher in some markets than in others, depending on such factors as the availablity of affordable housing, public transit and the cost of living. To illustrate, a McDonald’s in Rawlins, Wyo., may pay its employees $7.25 an hour. But in New York City, $13 an hour might be considered a reasonable wage for that same job.
The marketplace has a huge impact on pay, and the disparity becomes more pronounced, more visible — and far less understood — in areas where there is a mix of suburbs as in the Chicago area, where some areas are very affluent — and the cost of living higher — and some areas are not.
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On the article St. Charles Slates Brush and Yard Waste Pickup, Hydrant Flushing
Ted Schnell
8:45 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
I believe those were discontinued due to budget cuts before I started at Patch.
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On the article District 303, Teachers OK 3-Year Contract
Ted Schnell
3:35 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Now that's a start! While I understand the argument Niel presents (above), I've always questioned the pension spiking practice. In the business world, early retirements/buyouts are not usually tied to pensions -- at least for the majority of working joes. I know very few private sector employees who have pensions, although the payouts some CEOs get are about that and seem criminal to me.
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On the article St. Charles Police Cite Four in Fight on Main Street
Ted Schnell
2:22 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Public interest, Bob. Police news always has been a big interest to readers.
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On the article District 303, Teachers OK 3-Year Contract
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On the article District 303, Teachers OK 3-Year Contract
Ted Schnell
11:28 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tom, as I said above,
"I'm not discounting your criticisms about the pay increases and pension spiking. Those are entirely legitimate concerns to raise."
I am not defending the contract. That's a far more complicated issue on so many levels.
But on this issue in particular, it seems that teachers are demonized for far more than just the terms of the contract and fail to consider other issues.
Yes, they don't have to work during the summer, but then they're only getting paid for working nine months of the year. They are contract workers, like road construction crews, for example, who often get winters off — although many of those guys likely find other seasonal work in the winter.
Yes, teachers seem to get a lot of time off during the school year, but let’s also consider the nights they spend grading homework and tests, .reading papers and preparing the next day's lessons. They work longer days than some would give them credit for.
Finally, my point about the certification is that it is a demand on their "nonwork" time and an expense that most of us in the private sector would consider an imposition.
I’m not saying there’s nothing to be angry about, but let the focus be on the logical, relevant issues — contract terms and property tax pain go hand in hand, as does the quality of education and what level of quality for which you are willing to pay.
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On the article District 303, Teachers OK 3-Year Contract
Ted Schnell
11:09 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tom, as I said above, "I'm not discounting your criticisms about the pay increases and pension spiking. Those are entirely legitimate concerns to raise."
I was pointing out that teachers are employees for nine months. The "summer vacation" criticisms seem hollow in that light.
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On the article St. Charles Police Cite Four in Fight on Main Street
Ted Schnell
6:14 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
I'm still trying to figure out whether it was a case of honest misdirection or a prank gone awry.
Ted Schnell
2:12 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
I agree about the increases re: private vs. public sector, Tom. I'm not sure what you mean about my political views -- I understand both sides of this debate but never really have embraced one or the other. I believe public sector employees need to be paid a wage that is comparable to those found in the business world, but I strongly disagree with the idea of government-funded pensions and other perks that don't reflect the reality of the business world.