You have all seen the diagrams of the increase in unemployment. We all know the talking heads tell us it isn't going to get better soon. We all know one of more people that have been laid off. We have all seen the stats on the direction of the economy. It ain't in an upward swing, that is for sure. Plainview blocks are littered with, " for sale" signs that don't seem to be being taken down. Last I asked anyone that had the nerve to ask for a raise in this economy and actually got one, took anything that was offered; they certainly weren't in the position to bargain, no matter how hard they worked at their job, or how many educationally related job conferences they went to. In this economy that type of activity is going on JUST to keep their jobs, forget about additional monies. Few of my friends got bonuses this last year, none of them got raises, and everyone who has a job, any job, is grateful to have one and is watching their backs everyday.
Except of course the teachers of Plainview.
They work about 180 days a year, have essentially guaranteed employment for their working life, are contractually guaranteed (have built in raises yearly regardless of whether a contract is signed or not) raises, and are not only dismissive of the (additional) raises that the board has countered with , they are annoyed and arguing and making their case for why they are so terrific and why they should get higher raises. The people that I know who go to work, get there before 9 am, work til five or six, and then often work weekends, or after dinner if they have to. Whatever it takes to get the job done. There are no raises for that; that is what keeping a job is like. If they don't like the money they make here, this is a free economy, go get a job in Jericho, or Great Neck.
The only offer that I would make them is that when parents no longer have to shell out thousands of dollars for Kumon and tutoring, (on top of their already ridiculous taxes), then the teachers should be considered for a raise.
I understand they are bragging about the last set of "higher" scores that were achieved in Plainview because of their hard work. That would be the standard that they should have been achieving all along, isn't it? (perhaps the tax payers are due a refund for the shoddy past performance).
From my point of view, Plainview teachers and their union are out of touch with the Economy, the Residents of Plainview, and Reality.
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The presentation at the BOE explained that teachers receive built-in raises each year, called steps. So they actually got raises - the contract would make these numbers higher.
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