Letter: Don't blame teachers for deficit

The notion of teachers giving up 1 percent of their salary is ludicrous. Doctors and hospitals are not asked to take a cut in pay because of the rising costs of services.

[steveg]

Sorry Jodie, you get over 60% of our taxes now and our kids rank at the bottom of the educated list nationwide. You don't throw good money after bad. I suggest you ask your boss to take the cut and get rid of all those assistants he has. That would be a good start. Then we might also have a look at how many days a year you're in the classroom (180?) working. Please, no more bleeding hearts. It's interesting how well charter schools and home schooling does.

[Terry Pirata]

An excellent idea.
I'll even give up my $22/month health insurance premiums if Ms. Dillman's husband will give up his $500/month health insurance premiums.
Let's not forget that if the union gave just a little on the health insurance, we could have kept 2 schools open--as well as every program that was cut.

[teacher]

Health insurance premiums cost the district 807 dollars a month for teachers. It doesn't matter if there are teachers who are married working for the district, instead of one policy that they share, they both must have one (insurance company rules of course). Classified employees insurance premiums cost the same, but beginning July 1, they must pay 68 dollars if they want to carry that plan. Same rule, married employees must have 2 plans.

[concerned]

I think I pay plenty of taxes and am unwilling to give public schools one more dime. I too am a public servant and if the opportunity existed to give up a percentage of my wages to keep my colleagues employed I would do so in a heart beat. Unfortunately, that will never happen because the union (of which I choose not to belong to) would step in. If you think more money is the answer you are totally wrong. I pay a fair amount for my child to attend a wonderful private school and you know what, they aren't cutting any programs, you know why, the teachers there are dedicated employees who receive a fraction of what public school teachers make. Additionally the administrative costs to run the school are very low compared to public education. In essence the money I pay actually goes to educate my child. People, if you want to write a letter to the Gov., as Ms. Dillman suggests, I would suggest you encourage him to step in and explore ways the public school system can utilize the abundant funds they already receive in a fashion that will actually educate the students in the system!

[concerned]

Dear teacher insurance company rules do not dictate that you have two separate policies. My spouse and I are both public servants and only one of us is required to carry an insurance policy for the whole family. Quit your belly aching, public servants (like teachers) have some of the best, if not the best insurance policies in the state. The cost for these programs is very high and public servants pay a small fraction of the total cost. If public servants were willing to transfer some of that cost to themselves the city, county, state, etc. wouldn't be in such dire circumstances. Quit being so greedy.

[teacher]

It's nice for you that your are allowed only one policy. I asked, because I think it is a ridiculous rule, and was told NO, you both must carry a policy.Also, if your spouse is employed elsewhere, and if their employer offers health insurance they must purchase it, so once again double coverage... and wow! I just looked over my comment and there was no whining, just a statement about how things are, and how expensive the insurance policies are. You saw the word teacher, and just assume that I am fair game, and that I am complaining about how poor I am. Well guess what-I'm NOT a teacher. I'm a bus driver. Let's talk about how overpaid I am to drive students to and from school safely.

[Benji]

I think everyone is right. Jodi is a good teacher and hates to see the deterioration that has happened in Chico. So many teachers and parents just don't trust the administration anymore after all that has happened in recent years. I think when there was such corruption going on, it's just hard to give money now to the same people. Maybe if new leadership came in and cleaned up the bad people would be more willing. Right now it's just plain embarrassing. I wouldn't call them criminals, but I hear a lot of staff calling them that.

[Tim Pro]

Oh, I don't think anyone is blaming the teachers. All blame rests on the shoulders of the teacher's union.

[Big D]

Never forget the three greatest reasons to be a teacher...

JUNE JULY AUGUST!!!

[Parent]

I don't think anyone is blaming the teachers. People are just frustrated at the sub quality of our local school system. There are some wonderful teachers and we know good things go on, but the entire system is so poor in comparison to other communities. I get tired of listening to the same board members singing praises just so that they get reelected. Off the record, they know how sub par the schools are. I wish they would be honest. Brown's vicious tenure didn't help. The next guy walked into a mess he didn't anticipate and I am sure wanted out as soon as he could. It is no different than Washington. People want Bush out and everyone associated with his White House. In hindsight, it would be better to get everyone associated with Brown's tenure out too. Bring in someone from the outside and let everyone in the district office go. Until that is done, there will never be the trust in anything or anyone. We continue to find out underhanded decisions, corrupt activities, and now we all have to pay for them. Good for Forest Ranch to go charter. Watch them thrive just like Country Day, Nord, and Blue Oak. Someone wrote that if all 20+ schools went charter, we would be in heaven. The schools would be happy, better off, and we wouldn't need any district office personnel. I just read that Durham is thinking outside the box and considering no high school principal. We should learn from them. Instead of cutting teachers and classes, get rid of vice principals or have principals cover more than one school. I know that is drastic, but it's better than cutting classes or putting more kids with each teacher. Just do things differently. Instead of four administrators at each high school, just have one. People want to see some honesty from this district. Everyone is fed up and their frustrations are coming out. It's not the teachers' salaries, it's not their benefits, and it's not even the governor's budget. We all know that CUSD dug its own grave with some horrible leadership.

[Paul]

Hey wonderful teachers. Want to get the health insurance costs down? What would make the health insurance costs higher? Could it be that this occupation is not subject to drug testing? If the districts would implement a drug policey that would require teachers to be tested, that would bring down the costs. Don't say it would cost too much either. How about this? you won't take a pay cut, but you will pay for the drug test and your own rehab if your test is dirty.

[to steveg]

I agee with you. Charters and home schooling are both great in comparison to our school district, but it doesn't have to be that way. People are tired of flushing good money down the toilet again and again. I was one who used to donate and buy from every student who came to my door until I saw what happened to the money. Look what happened to the sports boosters money? It went in someone's pocket. I just found out that most of our money never goes for anything but pizza parties. It's all so maddening when you learn what goes on. Steveg is right. Show us that the system works and give us results for a change and then you might find greater support. It's not Jodi's fault. She is one of of the good ones, but the system is terribly broken. Are there any real visionaries in this district who can fix this place?

[answer to Paul]

Is that true? If employees submit to drug tests, do the premiums really go down? That's a great suggestion and is the kind of out of box thinking that is needed. No teacher would object except the addicts. Maybe there should be an alcoholism test too! That would have saved the district when they hired the superintendent who had a problem.

[Jim]

steveg wrote:

Sorry Jodie, you get over 60% of our taxes now and our kids rank at the bottom of the educated list nationwide. You don't throw good money after bad. I suggest you ask your boss to take the cut and get rid of all those assistants he has. That would be a good start. Then we might also have a look at how many days a year you're in the classroom (180?) working. Please, no more bleeding hearts. It's interesting how well charter schools and home schooling does.

You myst be kidding you ignoramus. Iraq gets 60+% of your taxes, there's not that much left!

[please]

Since Alcohol isn't illegal, and there apparently wasn't a morality clause in Brown's contract....that's a moot point. Frankly, the whole drug test issue gets on my nerves-since most people are using drugs that are prescriped legally.
If we would stop pouring money down the rat hole known as Iraq, perhaps our taxes would cover the cost of education. It's easy to point a finger and say the teacher's union, and the teacher's on drugs and the greedy teacher's...blah, blah, blah...but it contributes nothing. The problem is multi-layered, and does start at the top.

[Fred]

Excellent letter! Unfortunately the editorial board of this paper thinks comparing teacher salaries with private sector salaries is "apples and oranges". Like all "fiscal conservatives", they hold on to the beleif that public salaries come from your pocket, and private salaries somehow appear from some magical place.

[Paul]

please wrote:

Since Alcohol isn't illegal, and there apparently wasn't a morality clause in Brown's contract....that's a moot point. Frankly, the whole drug test issue gets on my nerves-since most people are using drugs that are prescriped legally.
If we would stop pouring money down the rat hole known as Iraq, perhaps our taxes would cover the cost of education. It's easy to point a finger and say the teacher's union, and the teacher's on drugs and the greedy teacher's...blah, blah, blah...but it contributes nothing. The problem is multi-layered, and does start at the top.

Oooo, touchy about the drug testing are we? Hmmm!
So a war in Iraq is the reason that you feel teachers should not be drug tested, or because many people use prescription drugs? You idiot!
Here are more reasons to drug test the teacher. Their behavior with their students points to something gone wrong in their easily influenced heads.
Why is ok for teachers and other occupations like Judges, attorneys, legislatures, all who write these laws and enforce them in the courts, not to be drug tested? Why is it ok that most blue-collar jobs, do have to subject themselves to drug testing? Where is the social justice in that? Those who create and enforce the anti-dug laws are free to contribute to the drug culture and it's crime syndicates, while others are humiliated and foced to submit or loose their jobs. If they are injured on the job, the health coverage is repealed and the worker is doomed to poverty. The taxpayer will now pay for this person's family needs likely for years to come.
Drug test teachers, professors, all working in the courts, the legislature including those big-mouth lying politicians. Do I make my case?

[please]

I don't really have a problem with drug testing an employee if you have cause, but across the board drug testing, no I don't agree that we should drug test anyone. Because a teacher may be short with a student, or say something stupid to a student doesn't mean they are "on drugs". And, actually, I'm having a hard time following your whole train of thought...In fact this sentence your wrote "Their behavior with their students points to something gone wrong in their easily influenced heads." perplexes the hell out of me.
Do you need a test?

My comment about the war on Iraq, has only to do with the fact that we are wasting our tax dollars on a war.

[Teacher]

Remember the title of this, "Don't blame the teachers for the deficit."

The teachers didn't make the budget. It is the responsibility of the district administration to do that----and they did. Who approves it? The board. They smile, compliment the administration, they toast themselves, and take all the credit---until something goes wrong. Now they sound just like politicians, don't they? I am sure the board is **** at the superintendent and her staff for lying to them. They know it's not the state's fault. The current administration wants to blame others in order to keep their jobs. The cycle continues. The teachers didn't cause this. Only one group controls the checkbook and that's the district. Their budgets got approved, so they had the money at one time. Unfortunately, they wasted, squandered, mismanaged, spent on frivolous, spent on legal mistakes, spent on poor planning, and paid for positions they didn't need. How about cutting their salaries by half? They should be fired, but let's take those huge salaries that they didn't deserve and cut them by 50%. Now we could save some programs.

[old bus driver]

No, but it's easy to point the finger at the teachers and say "greedy, greedy" because of that last raise. It really irks me that they bargained those raises and then stood back and said,'oh no, we are in real trouble now because we couldn't afford those raises-never mind that we are getting the same thing as the teachers'