[img]1805|right|Kathy Paspalis||no_popup[/img]Even though last year the School District had shown that it was deficit spending at a rate of over $3 million annually, and after calls from the public to hold off raises until the following year, it was School Board president Kathy Paspalis who chose to publicly defend the staff's raises. She echoed the teachers’ often repeated, but misleading, claim that they “haven’t had a raise in five years.”
Information Withheld
I’m sure Ms. Paspalis understood that our teachers’ salaries had not remained stagnant over these past five years of fiscal turmoil and that their salaries had increased almost 5 percent – more than $3,000 –since fiscal year 2006-07. These gains were from their automatic annual Step-and-Column increases given to them every year; even during the years of deep state cuts and deferrals caused by the Great Recession.
Lack of Public Candor
Ms. Paspalis’s repetition of this misleading statement and her seemingly calculated lack of public candor in the matter need to be called into question. By withholding this pertinent salary information just before the School Board’s vote, was she looking out for our interests as taxpayers or just looking out for the teachers’ pocketbooks and her own possible re-election?
Looking Out for Numero Uno
Her seemingly calculated statement supporting the teacher raises was definitely not in the interest of local taxpayers. I’m sure she realized that by publicly championing their cause, she would also enhance her chances in her upcoming re-election campaign.
Not Acting Alone
Not only did Ms. Paspalis and the other Board members give the teachers a raise this last May, they made it was retroactive to July 1, 2012.
More On the Way
This upcoming school year (2013-14) the teachers, in addition to their automatic annual Step-and-Column increases, will be receiving a state Cost of Living increase between 1 and 2 percent. They are also in line for their second 2 percent installment in the closed room agreement between the teachers’ union and Supt. Dave LaRose to raise their salaries by 10 percent over the next five years in order to increase their salaries to that of the average teacher of other unified school districts in L.A. County. Or is it to the even much higher ($3,100 more) median level?
Defending Our Interests
It’s starting to look as if there’s going to be another almost 5 percent annual salary increase in store for most of our teachers next school year. Some teachers still in the Step-and-Column program are slated to receive over 6 or 7 percent salary increases this coming year.
Let’s hope this November our community can elect three members with a bit more common sense and loyalty. Three members who will not forget why they were elected to the Board in the first place: To oversee the running of the School District, its finances and to represent our common interests as a community.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
