39 comments
Fiscal Irresponsibilty : 4/6/2010
While Mr. Burchill is correct that paying additional money into the system wasn't possible nor would it have been beneficial, the district could have prepared for this day. If you knew in several years you would have an extremely large balloon payment due on your mortgage, would you start putting money aside to cover it or would you simply continue on like nothing was going to happen? When that day came, would then expect the bank to change the contract because of your fiscal irresponsibility? In my opinion that is exactly what our district has done. Perhaps our school board should look for a responsible and capable business manager or the citizens of this community need to find school board members who will. Most likely our current administration will blame this situation on the teachers like everything else, negating their role in this mess.
An educated taxpayer
Ha! : 4/6/2010
Lets do nothing about the problem and them blame everyone else! Here's an idea, stop wasting millions of dollars on stupid non-education related stuff (new football stadiums and the like) and put a few pennies away for a rainy day.
Neon
Teacher Pensions : 4/6/2010
Could we possibly see the newspaper provide information on teacher pensions? Quantities per years service, etc. How does it compare to the private sector working man?
Steve
Get A Summer Job : 4/6/2010
Teachers already get a generous annual salary for less than 9 months of work. Let them get summer jobs and contribute to their own retirement. Why should the taxpayer pay this too?
Over Taxed
taxpayer funded retirement : 4/6/2010
The O-R poll question today "Should the state Legislature address the escalating cost of teachers' pensions?" Someone needs to do this and I guess that's our only hope. Unfortunately, it's like asking the fox to guard the henhouse. Our legislators are also pigging out at this same trough. Who can bring THEM under control? It would be interesting to see how they would rule on the teachers' retirement. Of course, it would be YEARS before we'd actually know since they have been known to drag out some issues and add their own unrelated pet issues to the point that none of them would read it or understand what they're even voting on. Or even care, as long as their individual pets were taken care of. I'll tell ya what, tho. I, like so many others, am struggling to survive on Social Security that was calculated on my income back when minimum wage was $3.00/hour. We did not get a cost of living raise for 2010 because of some dumb law that legislators did not feel it worth their bother to amend. But they got their raises, and teachers got theirs, all from my tax dollars. It will break my heart to have to sell my house that I've raised my family in and called my home for longer than some of these decision makers have been alive, just because I cannot pay my property and school taxes that pay for someone else's retirement plan.
cynical and frustrated
Taxes : 4/6/2010
Tax paid pension plan should be a thing of the past. Why should I have to pay more for someone elses pension when I can't even put mor into my 401K. I am beginning to believe that quitting my job and going on welfare is the only way. I will will be taken care of by the taxpayers just like the teachers and I won't have to pay taxes. Such a deal! It's kind of sad that the people in the online poll actually said no to the question. What the What?
Going on welfare
To Much Admin : 4/6/2010
Good call Neon. To go a step or two further I want to know why McGuffey's school board is advertising for an Assistant Superintendent. If you calculate their salary and benefit package plus their own secretary it will easily top a million dollars over that five year period. Why does this business manager need an assistant when for so many years others didn't? If he isn't capable of doing his job then find somebody who can. Why are there four administrators in the high school and middle school? Couldn't we have two people doing the same job? Add all that up and you have half of your six million dollars. Considering that the district will get reimbursed half of their payment from the state (something they always fail to mention), I believe we would have it without raising taxes. Could this be a crisis created for political purpose? Does anyone remember the major crisis our district was in when we had to close several elementary schools and lay off teachers? Only after the fact we found out this crisis didn't really exist (seems someone miscalculated). It was soon after that we added to our now bloated administration with all the savings. Come on school board, demand our administration start doing their own jobs and cut out the waste. Let's start holding them to a higher standard!
An educated taxpayer
Retirement : 4/6/2010
For a number of years school districts asked and received permission to make zero contributions to the retirement fund while at the same time teachers continued to make steady contributions. Now the districts lament the hole they have dug. During this same time period, teachers were asked to elect to contribute an even higher percentage of their payroll, which most did. As with any pension, this is a promised benefit that is equally funded by the employee and the company. Just as in private industry, it was part of the compensation package that the employee considered when choosing the career. ALL pensions, private and public, should be given to the employees who worked for them and were promised them.
Pension Protector
Stop Whining : 4/6/2010
Over Taxed, you claim "teachers already get a generous annual salary for less than 9 months of work". Please tell what other profession you know of where after 6 years of education and obtaining certification, you get an annual starting salary of $32,000 a year and after 12 years you earn around $44,000. In addition, you are required by law to get an additional 180 hours of training every 5 years to retain that certification. You obviously think teachers spend all summer lying by the pool sipping on a drink or out playing golf. Many however spend time taking classes or developing new curriculum to ensure that our young adults get the education they deserve. You need to realize that teachers are just as much a part of this community as you and work just as hard as you. There jobs require a great deal of education obtained at a great expense and they are deserving of a pay that reflects that.
frustrated
This is to you Over Taxed : 4/6/2010
Get your facts straight. As a teacher, I do pay into my retirement. My salary is not annual, I get paid for 9 months work. I do not get paid for being off in the summer. I also do not get paid for all the extra hour I put in during my own time. Like the time I come in early or stay late, not to mention the work that is taken home because it cannot be finished during the school day. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I am sick and tired of hearing "Over Taxed" people complain about teachers when you don't have to walk a day in our shoes. If you think our job is so great, then go back to school and become a teacher. Come and do my job. Until then, stop complaining about us! I pay taxes just like you do, as well as pay into my retirement. Get a life and worry about more important things.
Taxpayer and Teacher
This is to Taxpayer and Teacher : 4/6/2010
Obviously you are a teacher; I hope you don't teach reading becuase the entire article is about taxpayers paying into YOUR pension.
Reading Comprehension Problems
Taxpayer and Teacher : 4/6/2010
Come in early and work late? - Come on Taxpayer and Teacher, your day starts at 8:00 and is over at 3:00. Boo, hoo if you have to work a few extra hours a week; perhaps you are inefficent in your job?
Teachers Need Help
Taxpayer and Teacher : 4/6/2010
Where is your Union? All the crap you teachers and unions put people thru and you have the nerve to make us pay your retirement too? Are you high? Perhaps we should start drug testing teachers. Oh, wait! The Union said "No"
sick of whiney teachers
Taxpayer and Teacher : 4/6/2010
I think the schools will need to declare bankruptcy; it's the only way out. I hope you teachers have your own retirement becuase I am NOT going to bail out the school districts for outrages agreements they made but can't keep.
Over Taxed 2
Taxpayer and Teacher : 4/6/2010
Why can't I complain about you teachers? You are taking the food out of my kid's mouths becuase of high taxes to justify your salary.
Over Taxed
Taxpayer & Teacher : 4/6/2010
Your 9 month salary shows even more how overpaid teachers are. If teaching is SO difficult then QUIT and get a REAL job in the real world.
straightened facts : 4/6/2010
Isn't it normal for ANY salaried person who is an exempt employee to expect some 10pm nights, occasional saturday office visits, some 7am morning meetings and days away from home when school plays and recitals are missed? Do you not have the option of 12 pay periods or 9 so you can budget accordingly? You save for your retirement like most, but when the performance of your investments is subpar you needn't "get a life." For most the past few years have meant postponing retirement for years or forever. When your investment fund goes south you don't have to bat an eye. And when my healthcare insurance costs are approximately $1000 per month yours are very modest double digits. I don't believe most us begrudge good pay for good teachers, but for gawd sake quit complaining you had to grade papers at home.
JFB
teachers need help : 4/6/2010
technically, sometimes 8-3, often 7-5 or 6 + at home; Aug.24-June 24 + Act 48 classes + if I do make too much, then I also pay too much/more in taxes
Taxpayer and Teacher : 4/6/2010
You get paif more than enough for woeking 9 months a year and only about 7 hrs a day for five days, not to mention all the time off during these nine months plus the free snow days. If you think for one minute the tapayers are going to pay your pensions, you are crazy. Do what the rest of us do and pay into our own even if we have one. Maybe the school district will have to declare bankruptcy like many other companies have had to do. Teachers are over paid for the cake jobs that they have. Give me a break.
Taxed enough
It's ok...I'm a teacher!! : 4/6/2010
Only teachers take work home, come in early, work late, work weekends, have student loans, etc. No other employee ever does those things. (Release sarcasm key.) Teachers get a wonderful pension...I'm almost positive it ends up being about 80% of their regular pay. Teachers in most districts can elect to be paid either 9 or 12 months. But what difference does it make how often you are paid anyway? You get the same annual pay regardless. Cry me a river, Taxpayer and Teacher....and then man up and build a bridge over it! You really don't realize just how good you have it. Besides all the obvious perks that most jobs don't provide, when's the last time a school around here closed up and moved to Charlotte? Or outsourced the teaching jobs to India? Teaching is challenging and important (too bad most don't do it right). A good teacher's worth is almost beyond price. But the union ruined all of that. The good and bad (which there are too many of) get paid the same regardless. And some union brothers they are....a regular union person goes on strike and loses those wages forever. Teachers get it all back...they have no risk at all. And then when they product they turn out is bad, they blame their customers (kids and parents)! Unreal...what other business could get away with that??
Abe
Its not the teachers fault : 4/6/2010
If you people on here want to point the blame on someone point it at the people that you elected into positions on the school board. The school boards elected to defer these pension payments for the past 12 years and are now getting hit with all of the they owe. How would you like it if you took a job because one of the reasons were that the retirement was good, and then have someone tell you that you weren't going to get it after you had worked a lifetime, and only because the school boards and districts weren't smart with their money. They made a promise to every teacher they hired that this is the amount that they would be contributing to their retirement, they need to uphold their promises and stay true to their word. Enough said!
teacher supporter
Pension Increase : 4/6/2010
We've known about this for some time now. It's too bad the Canon Mac School Board didn't take this into account when they negotiated the last teachers contract. They only know how to balance budgets on the backs of taxpayers. Maybe the McGuffey Board can teach the rest of us how it's done.
"Born To Run"
Pension : 4/6/2010
I chose my occupation just like you chose your occupation just like teachers chose their occupations. Most of us all have the same choices to make from the Kindergarten that lead us to what we do for a living today. Many of us made better decisions than others; some not such good decisions. Now, it appears that the appropriate thing to do as an adult and professional, is to ridicule a profession because they have something that you don't! If they have it so good why didn't YOU become a teacher? I know I would never want to do it. It is a very undesirable, unappreciated job that is constantly under scrutiny. Not may of us want that job due to the duties required, the continuing education required (at their expense), required to do the impossible most days and now are being belittled on what little favorable perk they have - their pension. If the distircts would have been contributing to the pension fund for the past ten years like they should have been doing all along they would not have such large contributions to make now. Every district knew it was coming, yet did nothing. Now that they are poor planners they want new legislation to make it not happen. I would like to tell my bank that due to poor planning I want to change the provisions of my mortgage! PLEASE. You people need to get a life and accept the decisions that YOU made that put you where you are and leave those teachers alone!
Keeping it Real
Pensions : 4/6/2010
For those who say teachers are the only ones who work late, weekends, etc., that is just not true. There are individuals working just as hard if not harder 24/7/365 days per year. Let's be truthful here. Pensions in the private sector were out of control and companies eliminated "guaranteed" pensions. It's what needs to happen in the world of teachers as well.
GCG
Subs Needed : 4/6/2010
Since most of the wonderfully educated people who posted the nasty comments about the teachers seem to have nothing better to do with their day, I thought I'd let everyone know that our school needs substitute teachers. If you think its so easy, maybe you should come and give it a try. You will get a whopping $75/day for the first 30 days of actually working on site. After 30 paid days, you will get a raise to $80 or $90/day before taxes of course. If you have a degree of any kind, you can be a sub. We are also taking full-time applications. You'll need to have an education degree, certification, and be current on your Act 48 hours, as well as have all of your clearances and finger prints. After subbing for a few years, or sometimes more, you may be hired full time. I must warn you though. The subbing years can be hard financially. You may accrue debt, because it isn't steady work and get no pay over the summer months. Subs aren't allowed to collect unemployment either. You don't get a 6am phone call every day. You are competing for work with a bunch of people who aren't really teachers, but just sub with an emergency certification from the state. So, you'll probably want to get on a variety of lists so that you can actually afford to live. OR You'll have to run up a ton of debt that you can pay off when or if you ever get hired. Once you do, it's a blast. People send their kids to you sick, infested with lice, and on and off their prescribed medications which make them quite emotional. You will also have to deal with parents complaining about everything under the sun. Some are even nice enough to call you at home late at night or early on the weekends. Be prepared to have conferences in the grocery store and doctor's offices too, since it is easier for them that contacting you during your work hours. If this sounds like fun to you, when can you start?. Unless of course, you're one of the ones who can't wait for school to start every day just to get rid of your own child that you don't want to deal with, because your parenting skills are about as good as your insight on the teaching profession!
We pay more than you know!
teachers pensions : 4/6/2010
Look, I'm not going to condemn teachers. Good ones are worth their weight in gold. They are also few and far between. You complain about life as a substitute teacher. You knew that and all the rest when you chose to become a teacher, so, with all due respect, suck it up. Nursing is another career that has a list of substitutes waiting to be called, or start as part-time in order to get a foot in the door. It certainly helps teachers to have someone on the school board. I'm sure there are other careers that rely on subs and/or part-timers, too. Life is tough all over. Especially now. And like someone said, our school jobs don't get outsourced to India. So far, they're not owned by some Mid East shah. Every job has its complaints. My gripe is that pension is coming out of my tax dollars. What other job has that?? I mean, besides, politicians? Carmichaels teachers pay something like $30 a month for health insurance for a whole family. They're whining because it might be raised to $50. Medicare takes $96 a month from my Social Security check that is less than you pay at the grocery store each month, so I really cannot feel sorry for you. And that only covers me. My husband pays his own $96. Add to that the $33 for limited prescription coverage, then co-pays for this, co-pays for that, deductibles. No dental coverage, No routine vision or eyeglass coverage. And you expect me to pay for yours? Plus all those on welfare that sit at their computers all day and whine on My Space about how bored they are??? Oh, you complain that people talk to you in the grocery store about their kids' schoolwork? Plumber gets people asking how to fix the pipes he broke. Appliance repairman gets the guy who took his washer apart and wants to know how to put it back together without paying for a service call. Doctors and nurses go to a picnic or graduation party and someone's pulling down his pants to show her the infected boil on his hip, but doesn't want to go to the office to pay for treatment. Mechanic gets the guy who's transmission is in pieces in a shoebox. It happens. You are not the only one.
I wish I could vote on this
They chose to be a teacher : 4/6/2010
For all those teachers.....and Subs Needed. You chose to be a teacher.....understanding that kids are sick all the time...lice...and numerous other things that teachers come in contact with. Let me ask you something, Police Officers come in contact with all that and more....plus have to work mandatory overtime for more than just an hour....OFTEN. How much are they paid?? How many part time jobs do they have to hold to make ends meet?? They don't get holidays off....or summers either. YOU teach.....they SERVE and PROTECT!! So when you cry about how hard your job is.....think about who does more for the community and gets less!! Maybe you will be happy that you even have a job!!!
Clarification : 4/6/2010
Just so we are clear, most teachers can not choose to be paid either 9 or 12 months. Standard procedure is for the school district to withhold funds and then return the money without interest over the summer. I don't think this occurs in any other industry. Also, the school districts enjoyed a 10 year period where they did not have to contribute the necessary monies to fund the pensions and now they are in trouble. No one could have seen that coming.
Working
Confused : 4/7/2010
Do you all realize teachers are tax payers too?? They are paying into pensions. Many teachers live in districts in which they don't even teach! They are paying somebody else's pension, but they aren't on here whining and complaing. It's life... haven't you never noticed somebody is ALWAYS involved in something they technically have nothing to do with. People choose their careers, yes... but if you ever look at teacher salaries, many aren't that great! They may only work 9 months out of the year, but do the math... many people are paid MUCH better for that full 12 months.
***
Thanks : 4/7/2010
It's nice to see those of you with "real" jobs are bashing teachers. Quite frankly, they are how I got through high school, wanted to go to college, further on to graduate school and enter the professional world. Nice to see many have forgotten what their teachers have done for them.
Working Too...
Please stop : 4/7/2010
Anyone realize that without teachers you wouldn't have the jobs you have now? Anyone realize that parents are doing less and less and that leaves the schools to do more and more (breakfast, free lunch, tutoring, attendance monitoring, medication monitoring etc) Anyone read how the pregnant teacher was punched after trying to break up a fight and keep two children safe? Anyone think about what they are saying before they say it? Anyone think about how they are spending their money before they blame taxes for being unable to feed their children? Anyone taking action and attending school board meetings or just complaining in the local paper? Does anyone realize that the teachers are REAL people with REAL feelings?
Seriously, stop
Homeschool : 4/7/2010
If all of you taxpayers really disagree with supporting the caring individuals that are preparing our children for their futures, then perhaps you should all keep your children home and start homeschooling them. If it's so easy, then just do it yourself.
My kids' teachers rock!
Boo Hoo! : 4/8/2010
Whaaaaa!!!! My taxes pay for something that doesn't benefit me! Cry about the small percentage of your tax dollar that actually benefits a teacher and never blink at eye at the wasteful spending of your state and federal governments. With your school taxes, you get the biggest bang for your buck. Think what this country would be without public schooling. It would be much more costly than your $1200 annual school tax bill.
Educated!
To the Ploice... : 4/8/2010
Teachers aren't on here bashing other professions. They are simply defending their own. Every teacher knows the perks of their profession and realizes there are worse deals out there. How would you feel if the people on here said that all police are racist thugs with domestic problems who are on an ego trip? Doesn't feel good does it. No teacher on here is degrading other professionals!
Uninterested
"Without teachers" : 4/8/2010
What about other lines of work? Without nurses? Farmers? etc? They don't have it this good
joke
Go Gandhi!! : 4/8/2010
Teachers are on the defensive here, and they should be, they along with their union bullies, negotiated—not in good faith but with strong-arm tactics—to make us believe we couldn't do without them. Our political leaders were coerced to agree to pensions and high wages that are not sustainable in a good economy—notwithstanding one in recession. These teachers would have us believe they are the reason for anyone who became a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc., etc.—achieving these professions despite their antiquated and dysfunctional public school teachings. You public school teachers cannot take the credit—the credit to these professions belong to college professors that had to work extra hard to get the freshmen college class up to speed when you failed to properly prepare them. I vote for firing the lot of you and get new young teachers with fresh ideas and approaches to teaching. Mahatma Gandhi got the British out of his country by convincing his countrymen not to buy any British products. I think we who have our children in the public schools should pull them out and home-school them for a while until our government gets the unions out of our schools—YES, I am say that there needs to be a mass exodus of the public education system.
Gandhi Goof : 4/9/2010
Get the facts straight. Teachers unions have no strong arm tactics. Look at how many Washington County teachers are working without a contract due to the laws that limited strikes to a few days. The pension plan has been around since the 60s, it's not something teachers forced on an unstable economy. Remember, colleges don't take anyone, they must be qualified thanks to the preparation they received from, yep, public school. Pull the children out of school and do it yourself. Look and any reputable case study and see how home schooled children compare to public school children on achievement tests and social functioning surveys. Apparently, the schools do a much better job educating than the average person. You have made an articulate statement, however, it just doesn't hold up under scrutiny. But thanks for the laughs.
East India Company
Dumb and Dumber : 4/9/2010
Fyi, the United State can not pay its med care/social sec they dont have the money. Hold on its going to get bumpy in this country. But Iam sure the goverment who put us in this position will get us out! Ha,Ha,Ha
WE are next
Hey East India Company : 4/9/2010
You seem deep in denial of the facts—in particular how unions operate by limiting educational improvements and competition in your dysfunctional education system. You public school teachers have the monopoly but we are not laughing. Additionally, I hear that there are only 24% of the population here in PA that have a college degree, so what say you about that? Is that an acceptable return on investment? Did the students not apply themselves, were they all lazy from dysfunctional homes? Or, did the public school educator just kill the desire to learn via lack-luster curricula. Here's a thought, instead of you teachers trying to meet the below-average PSSA standards—why don't you try to meet the SAT and ACT standards, maybe then our children will have a chance to succeed in college and choose a profession. Oh…by the way you get no sympathy from me regarding "no contract"—none of us private citizens have contracts—we just go to work day after day earning our keep. I'm not laughing at you—I'm disgusted by you.
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