We Gave Already...

by Colleen Cooke-Salas

When the District opened the 2011-2012 calendar

negotiations with SEA by inappropriately bringing a wage item to the table (four furlough days), you would at least expect there was some fiscally sound, data driven, number crunching reason for the four days. Some reason other than it was good enough for the administration, so itʼll be good enough for the teachers, too. But was there?

How could there be a fiscally sound reason when our current contribution is not even recognized? They FORGOT about our class size increase! They forgot to fiscally account for the 31:1 staffing ratio that extends past the term of our present contract and through June 30, 2013. They forgot about that when they calculated we need to accept four furlough days.

So how much is our contribution to the budget dilemma we face? In the ʼ09-ʼ10 school year, it was roughly $6 million and in each of the years ʼ10-ʼ11, ʼ11-ʼ12, ʼ12-ʼ13, it is about $9 million.

We canʼt forget. We see and hear it every period as we teach 182 students per day.

Yet in the Districtʼs 2010-2011 budget, our contribution to the budget reduction is only listed as $2.7 million. In fact, not once has SEAʼs full contribution been accurately portrayed to the school board in a budget presentation.

The Districtʼs numbers under-represent our contribution and they know it, so theyʼre winding up to ply you with platitudes. At every school board meeting we hear someone talk about how bad the economy is and how others are losing their jobs and taking pay cuts. As if that is reason alone to leap to the conclusion that of course we should be resigned to further cuts.

We are painfully aware of the current economic climate. It is our spouses and family members who have lost their jobs. We have become the sole supporters in our households. We are losing our houses and cars. We deserve better than the rhetoric of “but everyone else is doing it.” The District is hitching a ride on the coattails of the fiscal climate and they expect you to dutifully fall in behind them.

Donʼt buy into their scare tactic! Know the District CFOʼs stated goal to the Board: In these uncertain economic times, our goal is to increase the reserves.

We believe our goal should be to provide the highest quality education to our students.