Re “At Your Service, Mr. Mielke”
[Editor’s Note: Mr. Mielke is president of the Teachers Union.]
I am writing today to respond to George Laase's article criticizing CCUSD for agreeing to a “firm 1 percent raise” for Culver City teachers.
George, for many years, has done a good job following CCUSD's expenditures, raising questions and concerns about those spending decisions.
In this case, though, George didn't get his facts right.
In last year's settlement between the Culver City Federation of Teachers (CCFT) and CCUSD, the parties agreed that if Prop. 30 (or Prop. 38) passed, CCUSD would pay teachers a one-time payment equivalent to one day's pay.
Over the past two years, Culver City school employees took nine unpaid furlough days to help CCUSD get through this latest fiscal crisis. CCUSD agreed in bargaining to refund one of those days if a school revenue proposition passed.
For most teachers, this amounts to a check for a few hundred dollars, no ongoing raise.
The bigger issue, for me, is something that is ongoing: Community opposition to any pay increases for school employees. Our last raise was, in fact, a 1 percent raise bargained five years ago, in 2007. Since then, there have been no changes to either our salaries or to the amount CCUSD contributes to our health benefits. With salaries flat and healthcare costs increasing each year, teachers have experienced an annual decrease in their standard of living.
The most recent salary comparison report published by the Los Angeles County Offfice of Education compares school employees' salaries in the county's 47 unified school districts. Where do you think Culver City ranks?
If you said “near the top,” you would be wrong. If you said “near the median,” you would be wrong. If you said, “near the bottom,” you would be right.
Here's the data:
School psychologist: 39th of 47 districts.
School counselor: 41st of 47 districts.
Elementary school principal: 39th.
Middle school principal: 41st.
High school principal: 40th.
Beginning teacher with B.A.: 44th.
Maximum teacher on schedule: 47th.
Maximum teacher/25 years: 43rd.
Health and welfare Benefits: 23rd,$76 per year about the median.
At some point, we're going to have to recognize that these numbers are a threat to the future of our schools. Those of us who are firm believers in the forces of the “marketplace” understand that districts with higher salaries have an easier time attracting and keeping top employees.
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at davidmielke@ccusd.org
