Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Complaints against officer keep coming
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Citizens United v. F.E.C. (Part 4): Kennedy's and O'Connor's Basic Approaches to Constitutional Decisionmaking – Top Down and Bottom Up
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
Track HR Research
Akron Gamer:
'Tecmo Bowl' recreation of Super Bowl XLIV
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
By Beacon Journal staff report
POSTED: 09:20 p.m. EDT, Apr 30, 2009
Akron teachers have voted to extend their contract for a year.
The move freezes teachers' pay except for regularly scheduled increases based on experience.
Bill Siegferth, president of the Akron Education Association union, said teachers recognize the financial crunch the district faces — a projected $37 million deficit in 2011.
Teachers ''see our district closing buildings to save money,'' Siegferth said Wednesday. ''We're probably going to end up with some reduced programming. We're likely going to have some teachers laid off.''
In his Feb. 4 State of the Schools address, Superintendent David James asked all of the district's unions — whose contracts expire in 2009 — to consider a one-year rollover.
The rollover shelves negotiations for a year and gives all sides more time to get a clearer picture of the district's finances, the governor's proposed education budget and the local impact of federal stimulus dollars.
The district would have spent roughly $6 million on across-the-board raises had teachers received a 3 percent pay increase — as they did for this contract year, Siegferth said.
An overwhelming majority — 96 percent — of the 1,400 union members who voted approved the contract extension, Siegferth said. The votes were counted Wednesday evening.
The union represents about 2,000 full-time and part-time teachers and other employees.
Last month, the school board voted to eliminate 17 administrative positions.
Administrators are unlikely to get raises for the coming year. They typically only get across-the-board salary hikes when union-represented employees get raises.
Akron teachers have voted to extend their contract for a year.
The move freezes teachers' pay except for regularly scheduled increases based on experience.
Bill Siegferth, president of the Akron Education Association union, said teachers recognize the financial crunch the district faces — a projected $37 million deficit in 2011.
Teachers ''see our district closing buildings to save money,'' Siegferth said Wednesday. ''We're probably going to end up with some reduced programming. We're likely going to have some teachers laid off.''
In his Feb. 4 State of the Schools address, Superintendent David James asked all of the district's unions — whose contracts expire in 2009 — to consider a one-year rollover.
The rollover shelves negotiations for a year and gives all sides more time to get a clearer picture of the district's finances, the governor's proposed education budget and the local impact of federal stimulus dollars.
The district would have spent roughly $6 million on across-the-board raises had teachers received a 3 percent pay increase — as they did for this contract year, Siegferth said.
An overwhelming majority — 96 percent — of the 1,400 union members who voted approved the contract extension, Siegferth said. The votes were counted Wednesday evening.
The union represents about 2,000 full-time and part-time teachers and other employees.
Last month, the school board voted to eliminate 17 administrative positions.
Administrators are unlikely to get raises for the coming year. They typically only get across-the-board salary hikes when union-represented employees get raises.
96%! Wow! Good for you Akron. But doesn't this say that you should have thought of this before you approved them 2 years ago? Oh that's right, well paid administrators weren't feeling the financial crunch yet.
The article has a slightly misleading statement: "Administrators are unlikely to get raises for the coming year. They typically only get across-the-board salary hikes when union-represented employees get raises." At one time, it was a regular practice for the administrators to be granted the same raises as teachers. That practice ended and teacher have received raises while the administrative payscale stayed the same.
Even with all this, Akron Schools will probably be wanting another levy within a year----and the answer to that is NO!
It's time for all state school systems to recognize the good times are over. It's time for the teachers, administrators, and staff across the state to take pay cuts and pay more for their healthcare benefits and co-pays like us in the private sector have been forced to do.
People of Ohio can't afford to pay more real estate taxes. Stricknine's new budget proposal is a farse. It does nothing to fix the school funding problems except force us to accept school levy real estate tax increases automatically without a vote of the people. NO way. NO to all school levies. Send the right message to Stricknine & the Democrat State House on their budget.
Vote NO on all school levies on Tuesday !!!!
===============
The ABJ story reported:
The move freezes teachers' pay except for regularly scheduled increases based on experience.
===============
Is there some reason that the unnamed writer of this story chose to avoid the more common term used to describe the paycheck increase called
STEP RAISES!
???
orwellian doublespeak.gotta' love those overpaid teachers.
Sour grapes. That's what I'm reading here. We all have an opportunity to make the most of ourselves. Those who go through college or a course of study after high school and make the most of their education, enter the workforce with more to offer. Those w/more to offer make more money. Working ones way through college and putting in the time deserve more than minimum wage. Higher level jobs require more than an entry level job or one that does not necessitate a degree. IF you want to earn more money "you must put the time in and WORK FOR IT. Some of you just don't get it. And overpaid teachers? Sign up at your local school Toxic Nut, and find out what really goes on. Offer to tutor. Observe students that just don't care, those that are continuously causing problems and disrupting the teaching/learning process. And then notice those who really try their best. That's just one side. Not to mention that there are parents out there that just don't care if their child succeeds or not. But do some research before you start putting down others for working hard, pulling all nighters to pass exams, and moving through the grueling routine of getting a college degree. Want more? Do the work. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO WHAT UNSUCCESSFUL PEOPLE WON'T!
