Quoted from the article:
"He didn't throw a penny our way," said negotiating team member Bill Nelson.Also quoted was the following:
Both the teachers union and the school board have 10 days to vote again on the fact-finder report, during which the public will be able to see the recommendations.As of 9:30 p.m. the NASD had not yet released the Fact-Finders contract, though they did state previously it would be made available and after tonight's vote I'd expect it to be posted in the very near future.
14 comments:
Population hike poses problems for districts
Monday, September 27, 2004
By ALYSSA YOUNG
The Express-Times
“In Nazareth Area, a good teacher contract, low medical expenses and commercial tax revenue -- along with fiscal prudence -- have helped the district absorb the added expenses growth brings, Lesky said.”
Hey thought this news quote from two years ago was way too telling-stumbled on it looking for the teachers website--so anyone elses read on this?
Figures, a past plan still in the making certainly looking at future building plans and cost. Prudence, where?, as far as building the best of the best is still important however servicing the frontline educators is not. Wake up and smell the coffee.
In my haste to get this online, I forgot to thank the reader who posted the comment on the earlier post directing me to the Morning Call article. So thanks!
How things have changed...
The 2007-2008 proposed budget represents an increase of $10 million ($49 to $59 million total expenditures) over the 2005-2006 actual expenditures. During this time student enrollment rose by 214 students.
There is obviously some commercial tax revenue, but Nazareth is primarily resident property tax supported with more than half in the borough coming from seniors many of whom are on fixed incomes.
Imagine paying $1,000 on property taxes for a house whose mortgage was paid thirty, forty years ago and getting $1200 per month for two people from social security to live on.
Medical expenses have increased dramatically and the NASD employees have not noticed because their contribution is nominal. I agree with the teachers on this one, don't have a flat fee. The fiscally prudent thing to do would be to make each teacher pay based on the package they select, say 20% of the cost of the package per month, and then raise the co-pays to reduce the overall cost. This is what many businesses do to off-set rising costs.
Finally, the NASD is obligated to negotiate for a good teacher contract, just as they are obligated to negotiate good and fair real estate and other fiscal transactions (and I'm not saying they always do, only that is the goal/objective). They need to balance the needs of residents without children, as much as those with them, as much as the employees.
The previous final offer made by the district appeared to be generous with over 4% annual increases over five years and this was supported by the fact finder who apparently sided with them.
Regarding the second comment, my preference at this point is to increase the percent the district budgets for classroom instruction, but I'm guessing your use of servicing frontline educators means more/higher teacher pay, whereas my approach is more resources in the classroom and more time on core subject teaching as opposed to all the ancillary areas.
Can't see anything changing at this point. The vote wasn't close so the teachers aren't going to change their mind in ten days. The NASD has offered a fair contract that was supported by a third party, so they won't budge. The strike now seems inevitable as the teachers really can't lose going to binding arbitration (its doubtful the arbitrator would come in below the district offer).
The biggest question is when will they strike and for how long?
In the meantime enjoy the holidays and don't forget the tree lighting ceremony is tonight at the Circle.
Of course we new the teachers were going to reject it as it was clear with the speed of the districts vote that the fact finders report was going to be close to what the district offered.
Reading the MCall article, I was amazed that one citizen stated that we should pay the teachers what they want since the district wastes money on other projects. Why? So let's waste as much money as we can? Sure, double my taxes, I don't care!
I for one am looking forward to reading the report to see what is really in there.
I don't think the union reps are doing any favors for the union at this point. They lost the public relations battle a while back.
The offer the teachers received around pay and benefits is a good one. Tie into that the fact that they also have job security (cannot be laid off), you have one sweet deal.
The strike is looming. My guess is it will come after the 10 re-vote period.
I would love to hear some specifics on why they rejected the report/offer and more details on what they really want. The article in the MCall only said what they didn't get, not what they really wanted. I don't understand why the union can't just say "this is what we want".
I am not a teacher but my feel is that they are tired of the lack of respect demonstrated by the board and administration as of recent years-look at Dr lesky's comment from the 2004 express article posted earlier-all but says we got a "bargain" on our teachers and low medical expenses help us fit the bill for our districts growth-now he has a second asst superintendent at a big salary (100K + ?)some stats: we have 5 schools in our district allentown has 23 bethlehem 24 and they both only have 2 asst supers---parkland has 5 schools and a student population of 8695, while we have 4425, and parkland has but one asst super--and Mr keller-board president- has been known to bash teachers- he stated to me in an unrelated committee meeting, after asking my opinion on the teachers dispute, that he agreed with the students father quoted as saying that if the teachers don't like it they should get a real job, he doesn't think teachers have a real job and yet he is leading this negotiation-from my opinion a board and administration led by guys who don't at least pretend to admire and respect educators is a breeding ground for the type of conflict that's resulted---but I am new to this arena and am cetain someone out there with experience will "set me straight" or at least try--
as for the imaginings-also imagine 30-40 years of living in a paid off home that is now worth 1000% of what you originally paid for it-sorry but you can't have your cake and eat it to- even if your old and on a fixed income-our median housing values are 30% above the average for the area and that is not because of a thriving downtown or our proximity to cement plants-one main reason is our schools reputations-ask anyone on city view-good schools cost money-we have to compromise our schools then we reduse our reputation and then house values follow-two words for the old and fixed-reverse mortgages---or better yet dip into your savings you should have created from that paid off mortgage form so many years ago-you could also move-but don't make our kids pay with compromised educations-smell that coffee :)
The people we're talking about didn't move here for the schools, they lived here because its where they were from or where they worked. They didn't care about their property value and didn't live life extravagently. It was a different time and they lived a different life. Now the "greatest generation" seems to be getting punished by the "me generation." It's too bad.
I guess you have to have worked with and care for people on fixed incomes to undestand my point.
These people didn't have 401k plans and both parents didn't work. People believed that their company would provide a pension (one of the last remaining ones is the schools) and that social security would provide for their living.
The home value doesn't mean a thing if you're not selling, except that you have to pay more tax on the house. And why should anyone have to take out a reverse mortgage to pay their property taxes?
Volunteer to help people fill out their property tax and rent rebate forms one year and you'll see how little many people live on.
Finally, suggesting a person who has lived here for their entire life move in order to spend more on teachers salaries and the schools is a rather sad statement.
I have one child in the school now and one more next year, I also have relatives and friends on fixed incomes in the borough, I wouldn't throw out one for the other.
Thanks for taking a sip!
Some of these posts are unecessarily hostile-- very easy to do when you are posting anonymously...
Unfortunately, the entire country is plagued with the issue of how to handle funding of our public education system given the housing boom and seniors on fixed incomes. There is no easy answer here and it is a terrible situation for those who get forced from their homes. It's also a terrible situation for students and teachers who have to sit in cold classrooms with leaky roofs sharing books because their schools are underfunded due to the removal of the school tax attached to property. Lucky for us, not the case in Nazareth, but it does exist in this country. Both are examples of what happens when 'we' exist on 'our' way without any care of how 'our' way will affect others. This is the attitude I read in many of these comments.
As for respect, I think the teachers here are given respect. Evidenced by the large PTSA organizations in all of our schools. There are many parent volunteers in our schools, many of us pitch in when asked. Respect comes in more forms than $$$. If the teachers feel disrespected by a board member, why take it out on the taxpayers by demanding a higher salary and lower healthcare costs than is realistic in today's economy?
A strike is inevitable and has been since school started. It's unfortunate that this could not have been resolved before the school year began, but let's just get it over with so that morale doesn't fall any lower. Warranted or not, the teachers cannot be feeling good in the classrooms and it's our children in there with them.
Democracy is a very expensive form of Government and requires an educated populace. That is why we are all responsible for education and why we should never stop learning. A home never pays for itself in school taxes. Consider the cost to educate one 'nomal child' or a year. (cost for a special needs child would be much more. Currently the cost averages about $10,000 per year for 13 years. Consider each house in the District will have 1.5 children in a 20 year span and each house has a useable 60 year life span. That's $585,000 in education expense. And many homes have a longer usable life. And who exactly is paying for the social security older residents are living on...All of those kids we have educated over the years. Even the teenagers who have not graduated from High School the Social Security tax. I don't think you can say, I can't pay for education because I am only living on social security.
There are leaks in the buildings and has been going on for quite a while in the stairwell at Shafer. Other buildings have been plague with problems ,also, example the past problem with mold in the hs and heating units at Bushkill. Took a lot of parents and staff to speak out to get the repairs done. Science books and Pa history books are shared. So we are a district that wants to talk the talk but cannot walk the walk.
I think some of the people who are taking sides on this issue are doing so from a limited point of view. Look at the Nazareth area with all the new construction and bigger and more expensive homes. You can invest, over extend and or go house poor to live in a big home with more space than you will probably ever use to keep up with the Jones’s but ask to invest in the people educating your kids and you complain.
To afford it there are probably a lot of households with two parent incomes and while the parents are working who is watching, teaching, and influencing their kids...the teachers.
Look at your day. You wake up put the kids on the bus and they are at school all day, one of you or a baby sitter picks them up at the bus stop at the end of the day while the other one or both of you may not get home until 5:00, 6:00, or later. You have dinner, get them to bathe and before you know it you are putting them bed.
If you want the person who is spending the majority of time with your kids to be obtain through a low bid offer than go ahead. But when the test score for the school district drop and your kid is not receiving the same level of education kids in, let's say, the Parkland School District is than don't come back and complain to the teachers, blame on the administrators who would like to turn the school district into a place where only new, inexperienced, and inept teachers are applying and getting hired because the better ones can earn a better living elsewhere.
Everyone wants to have their kids educated in a respected school district by educated and experienced teachers but know one once to pay for it. You get what you pay for.
The administrators don't care because they push papers and collect their guaranteed 8% raise each year. I can't tell you the last time I received an 8% raise...oh wait, I have never received an 8% raise and I work in health care caring for patients everyday. How many more teachers could we have hired to decrease the student to teacher ratio if the school district wouldn't have hired a second asst. super. I have heard rumors that it is a buddy system, hire you buddy. Now you have three people that can sit back and collect while the teachers do all the grunt work.
People have posted and complained that teachers only work part of the year...well it is most of the year. The amount of work and things they teach your kids in “part of the year” and the positive impact they have on your kids cannot be measured by salary alone.
Despite all the negative crap people are posting about teachers I have not heard one complaint about someone's kid not receiving a quality education. If you worked in a job where you were constantly told we pay you too much, the job you do is not worth the same amount of money that other people with the same qualifications are making in similar companies, and on top of not paying you what you are worth we are going to take more out of your pocket to afford access to healthcare if you want to take yourself, your kids, or your spouse to see a doctor. What kind of job and what kind of attitude would you have when you showed up for work everyday. These teachers come to work, put a smile on and delivery a quality education to your kids despite what is going on with their lively hood.
In closing, thank you to all the teachers for coming to work with a better attitude than I would if I were in their situation.
The teachers are not asking to be rich, just to be able to live and provide for their families like everyone else and have the kind of access and quality of health care that most of you living in the big houses and posting on these blogs expect from your employers.
Anon 7:05-
You compared Nazareth to Parkland. A recent comparison of school districts in the area that was posted here, showed that Nazareth doesn't compare to Parkland. Nazareth was behind parkland, saucon valley, east penn, salisbury, etc. etc. If I remember correctly, the Nazareth school district was around 10th out of 20 area school districts.
WHY DOES EVERYONE PUT THE NAZARETH SCHOOL DISTRICT ON A PEDASTAL...ARE THEY SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHER DISTRICTS OR IS IT BECAUSE THE REALTORS SAY IT AS A SELLING POINT. I HAVE PICKED UP HOME FLYERS AND BEEN ON REALTOR WEB-SITES THAT PRAISE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT UP AND DOWN. MOST OF THE HOUSES THAT HAVE GONE UP IN THIS AREA IN THE PAST FEW YEARS ARE NOT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE IN THE PAST 30 YEARS, THEY ARE THOSE WHO MOVED TO THIS AREA BEACAUSE OF THE LOW COST OF LIVING WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS. SOON MY TAXES WILL BE WHAT MY MORTGAGE IS AND WHERE AM I GOING TO MOVE TO WHEN I CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HERE. SO TIRED OF HEARING HOW GREAT NAZARETH IS CAUSE IF YOU TALK TO US LONG TIME RESIDENTS NAZARETH SURE ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE.
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