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PCT- What About Your Community?":
The BOE started off by offering a raise to the teachers - the PCT countered with something higher - eventually (after YouTubes, informational picketing, etc)they compromised. We can't say our school community had an easy year - it took it's toll on everyone - staff, students, parents and the BOE.
Our BOE couldn't switch to offering zero when they already put something on the table.
Ask yourself - are you angry about what the contract increases will actually cost or more emotionally upset over what went on here?
Brentwood could lose hundreds of jobs because of loss of state aid. Their teachers have a reason to take a cut - to preserve jobs.
There was no threat of major job loss here to push the union to give up raises.
Personally I was disappointed that there were no give backs - like time for extra help - in exchange for the raises. That's how raises happened in Syosset.
And just because some school districts froze raises for a year doesn't necessarily mean the step increases were affected. They are still getting raises. Of course it seems as though they resolved their differences more reasonably but will their communities really see any decent savings on their over-inflated tax bills?
Collective bargaining is strange to those of us in the business world. We know what it is like to get nothing and be happy our jobs still exist, while we do the added work of colleagues who were let go.
There will be no solution to collective bargaining unless reform happens on a state level. Individual school districts are ill-equipped to stand up to the union pressures - even the state government is held hostage by them.
Pensions are a bigger problem. They are rapidly becoming unaffordable to maintain. Think of how those people in Roslyn must feel paying a pension of over $14,000 a month to a superintendent convicted of stealing millions from their school district. How could there not be a law to revoke a criminal's pension? What did our own Dr. Brooks ever do to deserve a $17,000 a month pension? State and local tax free. There needs to be reform and raises are the least of it.
There are many shortcomings in the local school system. They are not going to be solved by voting down the budget. All that will do is create a bad school environment and problems for anyone trying to sell their home. Seniors who vote down the budget are ensuring that their homes won't be desirable to newcomers looking to raise and educate their children. They'll go to a community that supports the schools.
There are many positive things in the budget also that make schools desirable - music, art, sports, the safety and convenience of universal busing and all the extras like Project Challenge that mean so much to many kids.
The teacher's contract obligations will get paid whether or not the budget passes. If the budget fails kids will end up losing because of cuts. Buildings like POB Middle in desperate need of repair will not get fixed. Programs will be cut.
Vote however you feel. But realize what's at stake if the budget was to fail and what the problem really is.
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