First, let me say that any state legislative scheme contrived to balance California’s budget on the backs of our students is wrong, and it should be looked upon by all with great skepticism. That said, the six furlough days, now being used by our School Board to help balance the state budget, has been portrayed as though all District employees are receiving less in salary.
When Less Is More
In the past two years, CCUSD veteran teachers who are in the upper salary brackets and who are still enrolled in the District’s Step-and-Column program (those in Columns IV and V) quietly received their automatic 4.0 percent to 4.1 percent Step and Column longevity increases, respectfully. This cost to the District was over $200K in 2009-10.
So these teachers did not receive less in salary last year, as portrayed by the taking of five furlough days. They received more in salary last year for working five fewer days.
Does this look like the act of a School District in dire need of funding? Does it look as if this Board was being fiscally responsible with our tax dollars by paying these teachers more for working fewer days?
Sharing the Pain
The Culver City Federation of Teachers’ mantra calling for the “sharing of the pain” by everyone in the District when it comes to budget cuts, doesn't even ring true among its own union membership. And now it seems their “the sharing of the pain” is to include even their own students.
No More Furlough Days
Let’s give our students back their promised 180 days of instruction, or more. If, by doing so, the District has to cut salaries, then it should cut the salaries of all District employees by the same percentage — across the board — to balance the District’s budget-not with more furlough days.
Change Step-and-Column
These built-in, automatic annual salary increases of Step-and-Column are locally negotiable items. During the next teacher negotiations, these Step-and-Column increases should be put on the table for discussion. Unless some changes are made to the percentages teachers receive, this program will help lead our District down the road to insolvency.
First in Importance
It seems that during previous negotiations the Board may have lost sight of its primary responsibility as prioritized in the Board’s own Governance Standards BB 9005 (a) “…to act in the best interest of every student in the District. The Board also has major commitments to parents/guardians and to all members of the community…”
Increases Justified
Some Board members may claim these Step-and-Column increases for longevity are justified, that our children would learn better from teachers who are “happy in their jobs” than from ones who are embittered over salary cuts.
Need to be in School
Students need to be in school. That is best for them. Period. They should not be furloughed out of one day's education to pad someone's pension or balance a state budget.
Keeping Priorities Straight
The Board agreed on taking five furlough days last year and now six days this year to help the state balance its budget. But the taking of furlough days also protected teachers’ per diem calculations for their STRS retirements. The use of furlough days forced students out of their classrooms. This is clearly not “in the best interest of every student in the District.” The District's choice of furlough days only protected the interest of those teachers close to retirement.
Who Is Serving Whom?
Is it just me or does it really feel like teachers seem much more pre-occupied lately about shoring up their own fast-approaching retirement plans than they are in keeping their students in class learning?
Keep ‘Em in the Classroom
School Board members should not forget that their most important responsibility is “to act in the best interest of every student in the district,” not in the teachers’ best interest, especially when it is detrimental to our students’ learning.
Robbing students of any instructional time, even for one minute, to protect employees’ retirements, is not the Board’s primary responsibility. It definitely is not in the best interest our students’ education.
Any future state scheme to balance the budget that includes the use of furlough days should be rejected outright by parents and the community at-large as not being what is in the true best interest of our children’s education and their future.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
