Question of the Week

Comments

1. Penny Pfiester says:
   December 7, 2009 at 2:08 pm

   Your assumption is incorrect and your question misleading. The state currently establishes teachers salaries. It is called the LEAP document or the State Allocation Model (SAM). What is bargained locally and funded out of local levy funds is compensation for additional work in the form of Time, Responsibility, and Incentive (or Innovation) TRI.
2. Deborah Nolan says:
   December 7, 2009 at 2:25 pm

   Penny’s statement is correct, but the ability for some districts to offer so many more TRI days to teachers is a big problem. The teacher strikes we have seen over the years have focused on increasing these days. I think it should be handled at the state level. Small districts just can’t compete. Cost of living in those different districts also should be looked at, Thanks
3. Ken Mortland says:
   December 7, 2009 at 2:35 pm

   In it’s recent meeting, the Quality Education Council passed a motion directing the state to look into the transfer of bargaining from local districts to the state. That motion passed and is now part of the report.

   The motion itself was barely even tangentially related to the subjects of the report. It appears to have been an unplanned motion by Sen. Joe Zarelli. Its impact could become monumental, in that it could bring about an end to any meaningful concept of “local control”.

   The Funding Formula Technical Work Group’s report makes it clear that the formulas discussed are for allocation purposes only, and how a district spends the money it is allocated is up to the district. The Zarelli amendment would pretty much delete the “allocation purposes only” concept, as local decision making would become extremely limited.

   I find it unlikely that those who voted for this motion have any real concept of the broad spectrum impact of their vote. We will have to wait and see what happens, when the QEC takes its final vote this week.
4. Jerri Wood says:
   December 7, 2009 at 3:07 pm

   I would have to agree that if the state were to take control of all teachers’ salaries, compensation, and work, where’s the need for local control or even local levies? This is a huge step backwards, as there is definitely a local culture, there are local needs, not to mention local wants for local kids with people willing to spend the extra money (levies) to get what they want/need. Keep it local.
5. Jody Granatir says:
   December 7, 2009 at 3:36 pm

   In addition to the information provided by the previous responders, one significant problem with statewide salaries is the variation in cost of living, largely due to housing costs. Currently, salaries are allocated by the state LEAP formula (and local levy monies are used for TRI days), though the legislature has conducted a study which tried to calculate these cost of living differences by county. Any future allocation formula must take this into consideration and let local districts and their unions bargain for the use of levy money.
6. Susan Goding says:
   December 7, 2009 at 4:36 pm

   I agree with everybody else that school districts and their unions should negotiate wages. I do think that health insurance should be negotiated at the state level. A larger pool of employees that also includes state and higher education employees would lead to lower rates for school districts. This would help school districts to reduce and managed these costs.

   WEA would be opposed. Change is hard. But pooling insurance would definitely help with insurance benefit costs.
7. Arden Watson says:
   December 8, 2009 at 11:14 am

   The TRI portion of compensation should remain at local bargaining issue. However, local bargaining is so much more than TRI. It is an opportunity for educators and administrators to sit down and problem solve many issues together. The result is a better agreement and better solutions.

   As for Susan’s comments on state-wide pooling, school district employees already have this through the WEA Premera plans and at a 10% cost reduction!
8. David Johnston says:
   December 8, 2009 at 11:45 am

   So, since the discussion here is far more enlightened than the misleading question deserves, how about changing the question to meet the actual reality of pay for certificated employees?
9. Nancy says:
   December 8, 2009 at 8:45 pm

   The LEAP or State Allocation model does fund teacher salaraies however, back in 1974 (?) states were grandfathered in at different percentages given the bargaining scenario at the time. These were to be “adjusted” or leveled over time so that teachers in any part of the state would receive equal compensation. Unfortunately, some districts were grandfathered in at 4-6% above what other districts receive. THIS makes it hard for neighboring districts to compete. Let’s have local bargaining for the reasons mentioned above but the state should level the playing field and fund the same amount of money for each district. Local bargaining would allow for districts to compete with higher costs of living.
10. Susan Goding says:
    December 9, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    The WEA Premera Plan, even with a 10% discount, is still higher than other state plans for the same coverage.