YISD seeks more input on pay raise proposal

After listening to comments from teachers and employees concerned with a proposed 1 percent pay increase, Ysleta Independent School District trustees late Wednesday decided to postpone a decision to further ...

[W T F]

My spouse works for YISD and is a fine teacher. I know this will not be a popular statement but the first step to giving relief to the tax payers and increasing salaries is get the illegals out of our school systems. Don't tell us they aren't there because we know they are. When a parent apologizes all year to my spouse for being late and uses the excuse "the line at the bridge was too slow" that is just a drop in the bucket to an ongoing problem in our school system.. Go to any school at 2:45 and look at the cars plates hiding on the side streets. It tells the whole story. It is not the tax payers responsibility to educate children who are here illegally. If this was stopped maybe my spouses well deserved raise would be enough to at least keep up with the cost of living. Further, why are first year teachers making over 42,000 when they have no experience and rely on experienced teachers like my spouse to keep their heads above water the first year? Why don't you start them off like everyone else in the working world, with a reasonable entry level pay? Why is a first year teacher making 42,500 and a 15 year teacher with a masters degree is at 50,000? 15 years is a lot of experience and a teacher with that amount of service should already be at top pay. 42,500 for a new teacher with zero experience is ridiculous. The entry level pay compared to my spouses pay with 15 yrs experience and a Masters degree is an example of what is wrong with the system.

[eastsider]

Don't you get it! The system is tailored for teachers to get out by 5 years. Keep the entry salary the same and give the raise to those teachers with more than 5 years experience.

[Jane]

W T F wrote:

My spouse works for YISD and is a fine teacher. I know this will not be a popular statement but the first step to giving relief to the tax payers and increasing salaries is get the illegals out of our school systems. Don't tell us they aren't there because we know they are. When a parent apologizes all year to my spouse for being late and uses the excuse "the line at the bridge was too slow" that is just a drop in the bucket to an ongoing problem in our school system.. Go to any school at 2:45 and look at the cars plates hiding on the side streets. It tells the whole story. It is not the tax payers responsibility to educate children who are here illegally. If this was stopped maybe my spouses well deserved raise would be enough to at least keep up with the cost of living. Further, why are first year teachers making over 42,000 when they have no experience and rely on experienced teachers like my spouse to keep their heads above water the first year? Why don't you start them off like everyone else in the working world, with a reasonable entry level pay? Why is a first year teacher making 42,500 and a 15 year teacher with a masters degree is at 50,000? 15 years is a lot of experience and a teacher with that amount of service should already be at top pay. 42,500 for a new teacher with zero experience is ridiculous. The entry level pay compared to my spouses pay with 15 yrs experience and a Masters degree is an example of what is wrong with the system.

I read a while back that many new teachers in El Paso actually don’t have the formal educational training to teach, but because they are bilingual (Spanish/English), they were hired nevertheless. Do you know if that’s true?

[Taxpayer]

Was it a slap in the face when you got a 6% raise last year? Was it a slap in the face when YISD has increased salaries by 43% over the last few years at Tax payers expense. I would like to know how many Tax Payers have received a 43% raise in the last few years.(Without changing jobs). How about how increased taxes, gas prices and etc... are impacting Tax Payers. Not to mention this Storm Water TAX!

[Wake Up]

Eight months of work, a short work day, great benefits, $42,500.oo to start. Sounds like a great deal to me.

[fan]

Taxpayer wrote:

Was it a slap in the face when you got a 6% raise last year? Was it a slap in the face when YISD has increased salaries by 43% over the last few years at Tax payers expense. I would like to know how many Tax Payers have received a 43% raise in the last few years.(Without changing jobs). How about how increased taxes, gas prices and etc... are impacting Tax Payers. Not to mention this Storm Water TAX!

What are you talking about? I don't know who you are talking about, but I sure didn't get a 43% raise in the past couple of years. Question to ponder. Let's say you have a kid or two. Let's say you and your wife need a night out together, and you need a babysitter- not your mother. Let's say you need to pay this babysitter for their services. Now let's go ahead and pay this sitter $3, which is well under what sitters get paid these days. OK-- now do the math. You are out for 7 hours (school day), and you decided that you want to do this for 5 days a week for 36 weeks. Now-- getting harder. Let's say this same sitter is sitting for 30 kiddos--- This doesn't even include some of them spending more than the 7 hours with the sitter, and the sitter, preparing for entertaining her kids. DO THE MATH! Don't you think these poor sitters are well underpaid?????

[Taxpayer]

fan wrote:

<quoted text>What are you talking about? I don't know who you are talking about, but I sure didn't get a 43% raise in the past couple of years. Question to ponder. Let's say you have a kid or two. Let's say you and your wife need a night out together, and you need a babysitter- not your mother. Let's say you need to pay this babysitter for their services. Now let's go ahead and pay this sitter $3, which is well under what sitters get paid these days. OK-- now do the math. You are out for 7 hours (school day), and you decided that you want to do this for 5 days a week for 36 weeks. Now-- getting harder. Let's say this same sitter is sitting for 30 kiddos--- This doesn't even include some of them spending more than the 7 hours with the sitter, and the sitter, preparing for entertaining her kids. DO THE MATH! Don't you think these poor sitters are well underpaid?????

Are you Saying Teachers are babysitters???? Do you think a babysitter would make $42500 starting salary! Heck NO!! Teacher salaries have increased substantially over the last few years - And I believe it was well deserved. But to continue to cry poor is BS. Guess what - you make more than the majority of the TAX Payers - The same people you want to ask for more money from.

[Duel or Dual]

Maybe the teachers need another large pay raise so that they can go back to school and learn the difference between "duel credit" and "dual credit"! They want your kids to actually fight each other to the death for college credit!

Don't believe me? Check out the latest propaganda being spouted by the Ysleta Teachers Association. The link is http://www.ysletateachers.org/home.php and the name of the hoopla article is Salary Increases: Hanging In The Balance.

[Duel or Dual]

Here's the paragraph, which is at the bottom of the page:

One of the Board of Trustees goals is to improve SAT scores and college initiatives, but without good academic funding this will never be a reality. Without Duel Credit teachers, students will not have the opportunity to graduate with college credit. It takes a teacher with a Master’s degree in the field and to be accredited by the college to qualify to teach Duel Credit. Our district says they want students to graduate with duel credit but they aren’t willing to pay for it. But of course, academics are not important enough to pay for it. Let's focus on the sports right?

Excellence in writing!

[Teacher-30 yrs experience]

I hate to burst Wake Up and Taxpayer's bubble, but teachers work a 40 hour week in YISD; my usual workweek is normally at least 45 hours. And a 43% raise in recent years? Whoever quoted you that figure was asleep in math class. Salaries are public record. Look them up! The "6% raise" that was given YISD employees last year ended up being a $1200 raise for people with my experience. With this salary I purchase hundreds of dollars worth of books and school supplies every year. I wonder if Wake Up and Taxpayer do the same at their place of business.
By the way, Taxpayer, while I have spent 30 years educating, mentoring and consoling other people's children (as I have none of my own), I also have paid property taxes - GLADLY. Educating children is the most important job in the world. Education is what separates us from 3rd world countries. It is what makes our country great. And, guess what? Raise or no raise, I will continue to give it my all and continue to positively impact the lives of children because, regardless of what you think, I know the way to fight gangs, poverty, racism and crime is by making sure kids know they matter and by giving them the tools to follow their dreams and make a positive impact on society.

[proud YISD educator]

I have been in the trenches in YISD for 10 years and it is a good district. My proposal goes to the heart of the issue: Fuel and food prices are skyrocketing and changing our society in many ways. I propose a four day school week, Tuesday - Friday. Compressing the school week into four days will obviously save 20 percent of energy and food costs immediately. Keep all the important Friday activities, mainly sports, because they are so important for the students. This would probably require special permission from the state and a lot of groundwork to get it going but isn't it obvious that this is one way to create a win-win situation, save energy, possibly raise salaries, and implement change needed for survival?

[Parent]

Duel or Dual wrote:

Here's the paragraph, which is at the bottom of the page:
One of the Board of Trustees goals is to improve SAT scores and college initiatives, but without good academic funding this will never be a reality. Without Duel Credit teachers, students will not have the opportunity to graduate with college credit. It takes a teacher with a Master’s degree in the field and to be accredited by the college to qualify to teach Duel Credit. Our district says they want students to graduate with duel credit but they aren’t willing to pay for it. But of course, academics are not important enough to pay for it. Let's focus on the sports right?
Excellence in writing!

Board needs to step up to the plate. Montegro left behind incompetent associates who have no clue of what happens in the classroom.
If your goal is to improve student achievement then that is where your money needs to be allocated.
Whatever goal were setup in 2004 don't matter anymore. Economy is different and if you go to TEA's website and look at YISD's SAT scores- it makes you sick! What in hell did Montenegro do? What about the Associate of Academics? Big budgets no progress!
YISD Board you come up with your goals and hold administration feet to the fire to achieve these goals. Budget is your priority don't let administration tell you what to do!

[MADASHELL]

So what happened to your big raise that Montenegro promised you in return for your support of the multi million dollar bond issue! You voted for it, you passed, it now what? You were, "duped", by the, "duperintendent"!
Where is that money? Taxpayers were left holding the bag and we have nothing to show for our money!
Now, we find out Montenegro is probably going to jail in Arlington, somehow this crook managed to hoodwink that school board into hiring him, just as he did at the YISD!
Get your raise from Montenegro, he abscounded with our tax dollars!

[Teacher]

Wake Up wrote:

Eight months of work, a short work day, great benefits,$42,500.oo to start. Sounds like a great deal to me.

If you work in Juarez, maybe.

[Teacher]

Taxpayer wrote:

Was it a slap in the face when you got a 6% raise last year? Was it a slap in the face when YISD has increased salaries by 43% over the last few years at Tax payers expense. I would like to know how many Tax Payers have received a 43% raise in the last few years.(Without changing jobs). How about how increased taxes, gas prices and etc... are impacting Tax Payers. Not to mention this Storm Water TAX!

Go back to school, get a real degree, become educated, then you can get your just salary!! sorry that you work at MCDonalds

[Teacher]

MADASHELL wrote:

So what happened to your big raise that Montenegro promised you in return for your support of the multi million dollar bond issue! You voted for it, you passed, it now what? You were, "duped", by the, "duperintendent"!
Where is that money? Taxpayers were left holding the bag and we have nothing to show for our money!
Now, we find out Montenegro is probably going to jail in Arlington, somehow this crook managed to hoodwink that school board into hiring him, just as he did at the YISD!
Get your raise from Montenegro, he abscounded with our tax dollars!

What we need to do is get all the teachers here in YISD and head out to Arlington to protest LULAC that thinks this is a racial issue!!!

[Teacher]

Taxpayer wrote:

<quoted text>
Are you Saying Teachers are babysitters???? Do you think a babysitter would make $42500 starting salary! Heck NO!! Teacher salaries have increased substantially over the last few years - And I believe it was well deserved. But to continue to cry poor is BS. Guess what - you make more than the majority of the TAX Payers - The same people you want to ask for more money from.

You're right, a babysitter wouldn't make $42500 a year!! Let's do the math. A babysitter would charge a min of $10/hr per kid. I had 150 kids that I "babysat" for 1 hr apiece. So 10*150=$1500/day *20days/month =$30,000 monthly *10 months = 300,000/year. Wow, please educate yourself before you speak. Idiot

[Taxpayer]

Teacher-30 yrs experience wrote:

I hate to burst Wake Up and Taxpayer's bubble, but teachers work a 40 hour week in YISD; my usual workweek is normally at least 45 hours. And a 43% raise in recent years? Whoever quoted you that figure was asleep in math class. Salaries are public record. Look them up! The "6% raise" that was given YISD employees last year ended up being a $1200 raise for people with my experience. With this salary I purchase hundreds of dollars worth of books and school supplies every year. I wonder if Wake Up and Taxpayer do the same at their place of business.
By the way, Taxpayer, while I have spent 30 years educating, mentoring and consoling other people's children (as I have none of my own), I also have paid property taxes - GLADLY. Educating children is the most important job in the world. Education is what separates us from 3rd world countries. It is what makes our country great. And, guess what? Raise or no raise, I will continue to give it my all and continue to positively impact the lives of children because, regardless of what you think, I know the way to fight gangs, poverty, racism and crime is by making sure kids know they matter and by giving them the tools to follow their dreams and make a positive impact on society.

In response. As a matter of fact I do use my personal resource at my job, so does my husband and neither of us makes 42,500 a year. And both of us has done hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours related to keep kids on the right path. I completely agree that education is the best way to fight gangs, and poverty. In no way am I against teachers.

The 43% increase was not based on just last year but multiple years and it was stated by the Finance department. I would guess that this is in general terms not specific people. As a whole YISD has increase salaries 43% over multiple years.

[Taxpayer]

Teacher wrote:

<quoted text> You're right, a babysitter wouldn't make $42500 a year!! Let's do the math. A babysitter would charge a min of $10/hr per kid. I had 150 kids that I "babysat" for 1 hr apiece. So 10*150=$1500/day *20days/month =$30,000 monthly *10 months = 300,000/year. Wow, please educate yourself before you speak. Idiot

Perhaps you can afford to pay $10.00 an hour per kid but I can't and neither can most tax payers. You must be one of those fairly paid YISD employees.
This article states "We need a decent, fair pay scale and living wage for employees" Brumley said One percent is a slap in the face. For a bus driver, it would be pennies. It’s really an insult." Were you paying attention? According to info the district put out they do make a fair wage based on market value. When will it be enough? How much do you think a bus driver should make? A Teacher should make? I looked at Salaries nationally and the YISD teachers are not under paid compared to other states. Before you start calling me an idiot - perhaps you should do your homework.

[fan]

Taxpayer wrote:

<quoted text>
Perhaps you can afford to pay $10.00 an hour per kid but I can't and neither can most tax payers. You must be one of those fairly paid YISD employees.
This article states "We need a decent, fair pay scale and living wage for employees" Brumley said One percent is a slap in the face. For a bus driver, it would be pennies. It’s really an insult." Were you paying attention? According to info the district put out they do make a fair wage based on market value. When will it be enough? How much do you think a bus driver should make? A Teacher should make? I looked at Salaries nationally and the YISD teachers are not under paid compared to other states. Before you start calling me an idiot - perhaps you should do your homework.

Obviously you have no clue about what it takes to be in a classroom with 30 kiddos and administration breathing down your neck. I would gladly trade one week of what you do for a living to one week of teaching in my classroom to get the idea, that teachers are well underpaid for what they do, and disrespected by people such as yourself. Oh!!! and don't forget- your day does not end at 3--since you have to grade papers, set up the classroom for the next day, put grades in your gradebook, stay after school for anyone who needs extra tutoring or needs to stay for disciplinary reasons or just because they didn't or couldn't do their homework, or make up work because they were absent. Oh! I forgot -- remember that parent conference you will have after 3 or that parent that just wants to drop in, and the parent phone calls you need to make. Don't be late for that faculty meeting which will run about an hour. If you are lucky--plan to get home around 5--maybe!But I forgot-- don't forget to plan for that extra long 30 minute lunch hour which is really only about 20 minutes by the time you go to the bathroom (because this might be the only break you get all day to do it) and take your kids to lunch, then do 15 minutes of duty-you will be lucky to have a 15-20 minute lunch. Good luck and most of all enjoy your measly raise!