Should SF teachers strike? Here's what's going on:

[CreekDog]

Last raise was in 2008.

District asking them to take furlough days which could result in loss of $5,000 in income (proposed 4 furlough days per year and loss of 3 professional development days per year)

District asking to increase class sizes from 22 to 25.

The teachers are asking for a 2% raise over 2 years.

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I understand the district is strapped for money --it sounds like they'll be getting just $5200/year per student. But I don't expect the teachers to just throw up their hands and say "welp, the district is out of money, so I have to accept whatever they offer..." I mean how far should this logic go? Until they are furloughed 15 days per year and are making 35k per year?

[msongs]

1. furlough days are NOT ABOUT loss of pay - >

the work load is NOT reduced. Teachers are expected to cover everything and do the same amount of work in FEWER days.

This does result in a loss of actual income and no doubt teachers will be putting in donated free time to get all the work done, another big financially valuable loss.

The solution to all of this is to work the contract day, put everything down, and go home. If there are more duties than can be covered in the contract day, the contract day needs to be extended with appropriate compensation and allowance.

[CreekDog]

2. remember that thread at DU a year or two ago about teachers "working to contract"?

that was horrible. I was amazed at what some folks here thought about how hard teachers work.

or should I say I was *aghast*.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. The District wants a 25:1 student-teacher ratio? What's the ratio for administrators?

Are the administrators draining all the cash from the school system?

In Illinois, there are school princples making $400,000 a year and more. When they retire, they get hefty pensions for the rest of their lives. One retired to Hawaii and started a second life renting tour boats to tourists.

The starting point for the SF teachers should be for them to ask: How many administrators do they have in the SF school system? How much are they getting paid? Why can't some of their positions be cut back and eliminated?

[CreekDog]

4. I don't think shrinking Administration will save enough

it's a big city school district, some administration is needed anyhow.

funding levels are set to decrease from $5700/year per student to about $5200/year per student. it's not enough.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

5. Why should your unsupported belief preclude an inquiry?

In the late 1970's when there was another SF school crisis, there was reportedly a 1:1 ratio between teachers and administrators. If you were politically connected, and even if you did not have a teaching certificate, you could be hired as an administrator.

Maybe that is no longer the case and the District did not return to its old ways. But why not ask the questions?

[CreekDog]

6. why should your unsupported belief preclude an inquiry?

you are just making numbers up and have done zero research about this year's budget.

so knock yourself out:

http://www.sfusd.edu/en/assets/sfusd-staff/about-SFUSD/files/FY12%20Recommended%20Budget.pdf

[AnotherMcIntosh]

7. Why not make the inquiry? According to your source,

the District sent 253 initial layoff notices to persons other than teachers this last Spring and 172 initial layoff notices to teachers.

It seems that they agree that persons other than teachers should be considered for layoffs and cost-cutting measures.

Why you should not agree with this is puzzling.

[CreekDog]

9. do you incorrectly think the district thinks it's appropriate to layoff 253 staff?

that's a misreading of why the layoff notices were sent.

are you even in California? do you not understand this subject?

it's okay not to understand, but when you lecture based on ignorance i get stabby.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. No doubt the school admin is paid well?

in this county they used $5 million to buy books and materials that weren't needed and are just gathering dust while they laid off teachers. Meanwhile they spent more renovating the admin offices of the county - new office furniture etc.

[CreekDog]

11. it's not a well-funded district, most of these districts have had cuts to admin for years

you can probably find things in admin to cut, but the idea that they can find enough to make up for the shortfall in revenue is dreaming.

[hughee99]

10. Am I misreading, is it a lost of 7 total days AND $5000,

or will the loss of 7 days result in them making $5000 less?

[JVS]

12. Can there be trade-off between the furlough days and the raise?

One of the things I hate is when the contract offers concessions in one area just to take them back in another part of the contract. For example, what good is the raise if all that new money gets deducted for furlough days?

25 per class does not sound that bad. Other than that, I need more info. Wouldn't the furlough loss be equal to four days of pay and thus vary per teacher? Is the 2% across the board?

[CreekDog]

13. the district is planning for both the furloughs and no raise

so, seems like they are saying "no".

we need to properly fund schools in this state and we just aren't doing it. underpaying or laying off teachers is not helping California.