Teacher's union opposes raise freeze

The Associated Chino Teachers union has opposed a Chino Valley Unified raise freeze proposal that would address a district budget deficit.

[JOE BACA IS CACA]

Are we supposed to be surpirsed that the everso corrupt Teachers Union is against raise freezes while our economy is in the tank?

[Tony Z is innocent]

Are we supposed to be surprised that an idiot who is rallying AGAINST teachers can't spell "surprised."
Joe Baca, if you haven't heard, CVUSD repeatedly gives their teachers the shaft and as stated in the article if early retirement will save 4 times more money over the same time, why not go with that plan if the goal is to save money.
You listen to John and Ken too much. Pick up a book, it would be more beneficial.

[Party on Garth]

CVUSD and the teachers union: Same bulls**t different day. The union eats their young and covers their unwillingness to embrace reality under the cry of "let's not hurt the students." Conversely the District won't shoot straight with stakeholders and can never seem to get the budget numbers to make sense. The problem lies with both sides and no one seems to grasp that.

[Veritas]

Business as ususal in the Chino Valley School District. When there are financial challenges the story is always the same, CSEA and management carry the heavy load while the teachers union sits on the sidelines.

I thought this was supposed to become a unified school district?

CSEA - layoffs, 3% pay cut, possible freeze to step and column

Management - layoffs, 3% pay cut, freeze to step and column

Teachers Union - layoffs(the number much reduced), NO 3% pay cut, NO freeze to step and column

[hunkie boy]

2009, 3 fired black school supt. LA. Brewer paid $517.000,Victorvolle,Weaver ,paid$300.000.LA.jun.coll. chancellor Drummand,paid$428.000 where was the teachers union?

[inevitable]

Of the three groups mentioned above, CSEA has my sympathy. They took the paycut last year in good faith after administrators "voted" to take a paycut that was ultimately rescinded. ACT is just whistling past the graveyard...

[Kim Righetti]

Hello Everybody that doesn't know what you're talking about, Our health insurance premiums went up and they are putting more and more kids in our classrooms.

[teacher]

When the supplies in the science kits are replaced, and there is no money for basics like scissors, rulers, protractors, etc., who do you think pays for that? Who bought most of the books in my classroom? Who supplies folders, notebooks, glue sticks, playground balls, and so much more?

I'll give you a hint, not CSEA, or the administrators. We use our money to make up for shortfalls in the district all the time. We do this because we want the students to have, and experience everything that school should offer.

When I found out that I couldn't get colored pencils for my students this year, I took a survey of who in my class didn't/couldn't get them, and I went out and purchased them. When I need sugar, yeast, vinegar, or soil for a science project that is in the adopted science book, I buy them. We sacrifice monetarily for our students on a daily basis. New teachers are always amazed when they find out that, "We need to buy that?"

[Calta]

More facts about the budget:
1) CVUSD is required to submit annually a 3 year balanced budget
2) In formulating that budget, assumptions have to be made about revenues and expenses over the next 3 years based upon what is known currently
3) If the state or federal government make changes to revenues up or down from year to year then the budget changes and is revised accordingly
4) Every year over the last 5 years since I’ve been a board member, revenues have been changed by the state/federal governments, thus changing previous projections and current 3 year budgets
5) Between 2005-2008, revenues were increased each year thus changing previous budget projections
6) Between 2005-2008 compensation to all CVUSD employees increased by 13.1% thus changing previous projections
7) Over the last 12 months the state has cut their revenue to us by nearly 30%- more than any other time since the Great Depression thus changing previous projections
8) Postponing raises for 2 years does NOT reduce anyone’s current compensation, but it will save some colleagues from losing ALL of their compensation and it will protect student services
9) If a bargaining unit has another suggestion/offer to help save jobs and protect student services then they are encouraged to bring that offer to the negotiation table. Doing nothing however will mean lost jobs and less student services which, in my view, is worth collaborating to avoid.
10) Early retirement was offered in 2007 and in order to be financially beneficial (reduce the deficit) it can’t be offered very frequently (estimated once every 5+ years). However, the district is reviewing all the variables to determine what would be required to make it at least cost neutral which would open up positions for those who have previously been RIF’d. However, being cost neutral means CVUSD still has a deficit to address and without cooperation from the bargaining units, more jobs will be lost and student services will be reduced.

Working together we can protect jobs for our colleagues' and services for our children. Instead of spending time figuring out how to say "NO" to our colleagues who may lose their jobs and our children who may lose services, let's figure out a way to say "Yes!” to our colleagues and children. To our colleagues, "Yes! we are going to postpone a raise for 2 years to save your job and family's income during this extraordinary economic crisis" and to our children, "Yes! we are going to postpone a raise for 2 years to save the music program, busing, nurses, class size, etc. etc."

In other words, to our colleagues and children,“Yes, WE CARE!!!!!!”

[crimeman]

hunkie boy wrote:

2009, 3 fired black school supt. LA. Brewer paid $517.000,Victorvolle,Weaver ,paid$300.000.LA.jun.coll. chancellor Drummand,paid$428.000 where was the teachers union?

what do race has to due with this story.

[teacher]

Mr. Calta,
I agree with your comments about keeping programs and jobs, but it is offensive when people think that the teachers in our district haven't and aren't sacrificing anything already.

[Doc]

The entire nation is suffering from the poor economy. A union attempting to shelter their members from this economic reality that the rest of us must face - and to seek wage and benefit gains - gets absolutly no sympathy or support from me.

[Calta]

teacher wrote:

Mr. Calta,
I agree with your comments about keeping programs and jobs, but it is offensive when people think that the teachers in our district haven't and aren't sacrificing anything already.

CVUSD teachers sacrifice every single day in an increasingly more demanding work environment. we have some of the best teachers in the entire county and the state. Truth is teachers merit more from society at large for their contribution to the well being and success of our children. I've often told people that I don't remember who the board member were when I was a CVUSD student, but I remember with great fondness, Mr. Boatman, Mr. Lawell, Mr. Leonardo, Mrs. Koch, Mr. Iverson, Mrs. Miller and the list goes on and on. They directly and positively impacted my life just as thousands of other CVUSD teachers have done over the many years since I was a student.

The challenge we currently face is the state has cut CVUSD's payments by nearly 30% and CVUSD has to realign its budget to the new economic realities. By all employees temporarily postponing raises we can save jobs and programs for kids without anyone's compensation being reduced from its current levels. It seems like an option worth considering and thank you for your willingness wo consider it.

[Doc]

Kim Righetti wrote:

Hello Everybody that doesn't know what you're talking about, Our health insurance premiums went up and they are putting more and more kids in our classrooms.

Everyone is facing this same problem. Moreover, many of us are taking pay cuts. Tell me why teachers should be different?

[teacher]

Doc wrote:

The entire nation is suffering from the poor economy. A union attempting to shelter their members from this economic reality that the rest of us must face - and to seek wage and benefit gains - gets absolutly no sympathy or support from me.

Not wanting your sympathy, Doc. People seem to think that teachers aren't feeling the poor economy, and that just isn't true. They can freeze my salary, but when my benefits increase each year, my salary decreases - it doesn't stay the same. I guess I will stop supplying my classroom at that point, which again will affect students.

[Lisa]

Dear Doc, My husband is a contractor who has had little work this year. We are living on my salary as a teacher. We are barely surviving as it is. We can't take a cut. I'll happily send you my bills.

[teacher]

Doc must think we make a lot of money, Lisa! Maybe we should roll back the minimum wage too.

Funny, I bet Doc doesn't support "everyone" sharing the burden of health care.

[Lisa]

Dear Teacher, I agree with you totally.

[E Sibby]

Sadly, Chino Valley Board Member Michael Calda does not get it. In the private sector, wages are cut and jobs are lost as a direct result of a loss of a company's business, or a decrease in its market share. In contrast, why would any teacher or classified employee agree to freeze or cut its wages when their workload is increasing and their class sizes are growing? It's time for the school boards across this state and the communities they purport to represent to stop looking for a local solution to Sacramento's problem. It's certainly NOT the answer to ask education employees to subsidize the education of their students with money out of their own pockets.

[Hank Mollet]

JOE BACA IS CACA wrote:

Are we supposed to be surpirsed that the everso corrupt Teachers Union is against raise freezes while our economy is in the tank?

No, you aren't supposed to be surprised that the union works to protect the teachers that pay for it, elect it, and run it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that people attack the union without realizing it is the teachers; the ones that work with our children every day.

I am against cuts that are based on budget projections that have been flawed. I am opposed to doing the easy thing by cutting salaries across the board when there may be other areas to cut. As many have posted here, teachers are taking cuts in other ways already and getting little recognition for the harder working conditions and the increased out of pocket payments for supplies and health care. Make sure you are making the smaller, harder to find, shorter term cuts that can be reinstated if the budget ever improves before you just tell everyone to take a pay cut.