Posted on 10/31/2012 10:59:06 AM PDT by Kaslin
Is it ever enough? That’s what citizens should be asking in Newark, where the teachers are claiming they are subject to “indentured servitude” for being forced to consider an “inhumane” collective bargaining agreement that many consider very union friendly.
The average Newark teacher’s pay is $57,926, according to teachersalaryinfo.com. That constitutes “indentured servitude”?
In 2011, EAGnews.org found that Newark teachers contributed a big fat zero to their health insurance benefits. Taxpayers, on the other hand, spent a healthy $111,742,197 to pay for teacher benefits. Yes, that’s $111 million to zero.
The school district receives a whopping $28,406 per student from state, federal and local sources. A great deal of that money goes to teachers for salary and benefits. That’s not enough to break the chains of servitude endured by the public school servants of Newark? If you listen to union activists, the answer would be “no.”
Newark union teachers have become unhinged at the idea of being held accountable for their students’ academic achievement. So much so, EAGNews.org reported, the union may actually reject the contract negotiated by its leaders, thereby snubbing a 14 percent raise.
One group of Newark teachers, known as the NEW Caucus, is trying to reject the new contract deal because it amounts to a “cut-throat business contract, not a social justice contract,” they group wrote in a critique of the proposed contract.
Apparently “social justice” is now the equivalent of paying everyone equally based on how long they’ve been there, not on effectiveness or positive impact on student learning.
And equating performance pay and bonuses to some sort of “cut-throat business” scenario says more about what the union teachers think of the free enterprise system than any reform being proposed in Newark. And we’re relying on these people to teach students how to function in a free market economy? Having to earn one’s pay is apparently tantamount to “indentured servitude” in the union world.
This is what happens when Big Labor is given the opportunity to call the shots. They do it all in a way that is in their best interest, and not in the best interests of students, parents and certainly not taxpayers.
Nevertheless, the NEW Caucus is urging a “no” vote on the contact because:
“This is not a social justice contract that views public education as a sacred duty that the state and local governments owe to all students, parents, and education workers. This is a cut-throat BUSINESS contract that will bring the forces of the market to public education. It turns education into a business which does nothing to directly address student needs. In fact, many of these provisions will ultimately hurt students.”
“When the Baltimore Teachers Union was initially faced with a merit pay proposal in 2010, they turned it down. But after Randi Weingarten and the AFT went there to convince the Baltimore teachers that this was a good contract, a second vote passed merit pay and the contract provisions. Since then, the number of unsatisfactory evaluations—ineffective—shot up throughout the city, in some schools as high as 60%. Let’s not repeat these same errors. Vote no, organize our union, and demand a truly fair contract that works to serve the interests of all students and education workers in Newark.”
We think the NEW Caucus is actually suggesting that evaluations should be cancelled because too many teachers flunk. The idea is to find teachers who will receive good evaluations meaning they adequately teach kids.
Apparently to these teachers, $57,926 per year is not enough to convince them to work harder to improve miserable student test scores, like a 56 percent proficiency rating in science for 8th graders or a 45 percent proficiency rating in math for the same students, according to GreatSchools.org.
To Newark teachers, academics are just great the way they are. Unacceptable levels of student achievement are not a bother. Spending $28,406 per student to achieve such pitiful results is not a concern.
But holding teachers accountable? That’s “inhumane” and is tantamount to “indentured servitude.”
Hey, if they don’t like it they know where the exit is. I’m sure there are 1,000 people willing to take that job at the current salery so finding a replacement would be easy-peasy.
Fresh meat for governor Cristie. Hope he lays the smack down.
"There is a ready solution for anyone on the public payroll who feels that he is not paid enough: He can resign and work for a living. This applies with equal force to Congressmen, Welfare 'clients', school teachers, generals, garbage collectors, and judges."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
These teachers have no more guts, than “Johnny Jihad”, by shielding themselves, with YOUR children!
“Indentured servants”?? I looked it up in my copy of “Mr. Webster’s book”. Their revisionist language does not compute!
THEY entered into a contract voluntarily, upon hire, with the school district.
THEY know where the door is, yet I doubt there will be any room for that door to close without the possibility of personal contact with said teacher!
Then SET THEM FREE.......
An indentured servant is someone who works in order to pay off a debt. Who do the teachers own a debt to - the Unions?
What is with this class warfare?
In New Jersey 57K is just barely enough to pay their taxes.
It is peanuts.
And being held accountable for teaching the unteachable?
What is the Out of Wedlock birth rate in Newark? 99%
These teachers can (and should) be criticized for many things, but not for making a salary no higher than the average college degreed person in New Jersey teaching in dangerous conditions.
Then again, I get to live in God's beautiful Ozarks, teach in a public high school that says the Pledge every morning, the most important assembly is on Nov 11, and the first thing we did on our back to school teacher workday is open in prayer.
Remember city folks, you are welcome to come visit but don't move here and start voting.
At least we don't spend as much money as Newark. In fact, we spend $16,000 less per student per year, but the $12,000 that we do spend per student per year is entirely too expensive.
BTW, I pulled my daughter out of public school due to academics, family time and to screw the teacher union. My daughter now goes to an online charter school that has non-union teachers. She is able to learn at her own pace, which is faster than what she had at public school. She is not burdened with group projects, group tests and endless homework that takes about 10 times as much time to learn a lesson than required. In short, her quality of education has increased significantly and she has much more time for family and friends, with the added benefit of the local school district not getting our tax dollars.
People who use the phrase “social justice” should be slapped the second the words leave their mouth.
SET THE SLAVES FREE.... FIRE THEM...
Teachers have been complaining about being underpaid for as long as I can remember. It has never been true.
So the government school whiney-bum teachers who are so oppressed should quit and get real jobs where they won’t work only about 2/3 of the year, have great benefits and early retirement. Give me a break!
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