Pinellas pay cut less than first proposed

Pinellas school officials no longer are proposing a 2 percent pay cut for about 14,000 district employees and a 6.25 percent cut for 2,000 non-instructional employees. Now, the worst case is a 1.5 percent cut for all 16,000 employees.

What changed? In a School Board workshop today, budget officials proposed to cut deeper into the district's reserves by $4.8-million and they said they learned that the system's property and casualty insurance will cost $1.1-million less than anticipated. Both developments make more money available for salaries. Instead of a $43-million in cuts, the district is now looking at cutting $37-million.

Officials also proposed ways to lessen the pay cut further or eliminate it, but all of them involved increasing health insurance premiums for employees.

Comments

[Tito]

They deserve a 50% paycut! All teachers are drunks and degenerate losers who pray on children and smoke crack!

[Sandra]

All teachers are not "drunks and degenerates". It's not fair to judge all teachers by the few that are bad apples. My children attend Thurgood Marshall Middle School and the staff there are hard workers who really care about the kids getting a good education. Don't judge all by a few.

[Pat]

Teachers are valauble and hardworking for the most part, but why should they be protected anymore than any other kind of educated, hardworking employee? I am tired of teachers being put on a throne over other occupations just as important, who are experiencing cuts as well. Most retire young and get Summers off.

Tito, sounds like you were educated by someone who was drunk and crack addicted.

[Rhea]

Then YOU make the same choices we did--Go to school, get a degree and choose a career in teaching. You are where you are because of the choices you made.
we're not on thrones--Try doing what we do and THEN you can open your mouth.

[Tony]

Rhea - Why so upset? hit a sore spot, Teachers are overpaid and under worked. Now is the time to do something about it. Don't like it move on.

[Rhea]

Nope, not sore. Just tired of ignorance.
Are you from Florida? I'm a native. This is my home. I don't need to "move on".

[Chuck]

Ha ha! You were named after loose stool!

[Not a member of the Jackson 5]

Tito,

What kind of inbreeding, blood-sucking moron are you exactly? Are you jealous of the fact that I actually graduated high school, that I can read, that I put myself through college and work for a living? What is it exactly that has you so upset?

Sure, there are some poor excuses for teachers. There are poor excuses for doctors, lawyers, senators, presidents, ... Need I go on?

You need to get out of your sister, discover birth control and babysit your own cretins! That is NOT my job. And, it is not what I went to school for.

If you are so upset with the state of education in Florida, which by the way is understandable, then get off your fat, whining a#$ and do something about it.

I took a $12000 pay cut to teach. I work all summer adjusting and preparing curriculum. I am in a stable and "normal" relationship with a mature adult and do not find anything remotely attractive about children.
I am here because I think children deserve the right to a decent education and I felt I was able to provide that.

My thanks from our society is to get labeled as a babysitter, a child molester, and an overpaid crack-smoker.

Why don't you lay off the crack. I don't teach in Pinellas County. But if I did, I would let the county have the full 2% and hope they apply to the police and fire fighters. I am sure that an intelligent person like you is in dire need of their services on a regular basis!

[Tito's an Idiot!]

Tito, apparently you didn't attend school.... you don't "pray" on children, you would "prey" on them. Go back to school and with any luck you might learn something from those "drunks"!!

[Katherine]

Pat- To answer your question,because any other hard working employee does his/her job gets raises for a job well done during performance reviews. Any other hardworking employee has to explain things to the immediate boss while a teacher has to constantly justify and explain things to kids,parents,principal and so on up the line and then must rely on governmental "experts' to tell them how to do their jobs. How many hard-working employees have a morality clause (written and understood) that applies when they are on and off the job and are fingerprinted? How many hardworking employees who get caught doing things they shouldn't be doing(or get accused of it) and get their names in the paper? Teachers who retire young (because they find they will never be able to live on that retirement) go on to get jobs that pay them much more than they were earning before. Summers off don't mean lounging by the pool, it means working alongside other "hard-working" educated people to keep the bills paid. One final thought, would you allow a self-taught doctor or medical professional to operate on /treat you or a family member, would you allow a self-taught lawyer to defend you or work in a building designed by a self-taught architect? if you said no then thank the teacher that taught them all; that's why they need to be recognized and appreciated a heck of a lot more than they ever will be!

[Stacey]

You can't get mad at teachers for having the summer off. The majority of these teachers work other jobs during the summer, and if they don't good for them! If you want to enjoy the summers as well, then I suggest changing your careers!

[Teacher]

WOW! I am stunned at the anger and hostility towards teachers. Why, all of a sudden, is there a rash of people screaming for our heads on a plate?

I liked what "Not a member of the Jackson 5" said: there are poor excuses for doctors, lawyers (I know this first hand!), politicians, etc.

I took a pay cut to come into the teaching field. I develop and prepare lesson plans, read new textbooks, make notes, etc over the summer. I also attend workshops in the hopes of providing my students with a better education. Oh, I DO NOT get paid over the summer! I do this stuff on my own.

If you are so upset with ALL teachers why don't you "man-up" and talk to us face-to-face. I think you will see that the majority of us are decent, caring human beings. If you think we do not deserve our pay, I challenge you to become a substitute and step into a classroom. I promise you this job is a lot harder than it looks. The good teachers MAKE it look easy; but then again, good pro-athletes make their jobs look easy, too. It is called practice- and practice is done off the field AND outside the classroom.

Folks, at some point we have to move on. Let's try to keep our eyes on the key issue here which is the education of our children.

[Pat]

Rhea: I am a teacher and have taught lower grades and as a sub in middle schools. I haven't in about 5 yrs but I still have plenty of friends that still do. They agree with me about how the media is putting them on a pedestal and it isn't fair to their friends and neighbors in other occupations. So calm down and consider other peoples opinions and be respectful.

[Alan]

teachers are parasites living off the fruits of the working mans labor.

[Pat]

Stacey: Nobody is mad that some teachers get the summers off, just mentioning it as one nice perk of teaching, just as other professions have certain advantages. I also have many neighbors who are retired teachers, still young and vital in their 50's. My other neighbors are jealous as they trudge off to work till 65!

Teachers rock.

[Brittany]

ALL jobs are hard, teaching along with many others. Tired of the whining. Many hard jobs with comparable education requirements pay the same or less.

[blah]

Cmon we all know ther dirtiest profession is the cops. If you wanna take a few low blows at the real dirtbags, head for one of their articles, which are a dime a dozen these days. leave the teachers alone. After all, they put up with your snot nosed delinquents everyday.

[Teacher]

Pat:

How are teachers on a pedestal? Last time I read the paper (like TODAY) we are being persecuted.

Alan: I am typing this slowly as you obviously do not read two good. Also, your sentence structure is in need of some revamping (you can look that word up in the dictionary, which is a book that tells you what words mean.)

[Teacher]

Blah- You are my hero. Thanks for the support.

[Fred]

I have neighbors here in Largo who are retired teachers from IL. They have nothing better to do, being young and vital at 50 plus, to get in everyone elses business and protest any cause they can find while collecting fat pensions. Can't they go back to work and put all that passion back in the classroom?

[Teacher]

Brit:

Exactly what jobs are you refering to? This is serious question- not trying to be a smart a@@

[Naitch]

Tito is just pissed that people can't understand why his weird brother michael likes little boys. If it wasn't for teachers do you really think you would have a career OR AN EDUCATION.That right Tito doesn't have an education!

[Teacher]

Fred:

Illinois is the problem, NOT teachers. FLA teachers do not make anywhere close to what your nosey, busy-body neighbors did. I am frequently annoyed by "people" from the North, regardless of profession!

[Teacher]

Naitch:

LOL!!! You ROCK!!!

[Be told]

Get rid of the teachers paid sick time, and that would be a 15% pay cut.

[Jay]

I love being a teacher. I make all the money in the world. 2% ,1.5%, Hey who cares? I get to enjoy the company of the offspring of all the wonderful parents of Pinellas County! They are all like angels! The schooboard knows just what is like to be me! Thank the Lord they put the teachers first when making all those complicated choices! My administration is always there to back me up when there is any kind of an issue. I get to eat and even urinate whenever I want - between classes. Yes life is good! Summers off- I can work my second job... Yea i's a beautiful thing.. No one to bother you if you might make a sligt mistake in attendance, or grades, or if you present an idea that might offend someone even though it could open up a whole new world of understanding and comprehension. I respect the likes of Wilcox. He has helped so many of us with our accomplishments. I know he would come to my classroom and hold my hand when I had the slightest form of a headache. I am so proud of him and his ability to move up in the world so quickly. What a great idea it was for me to take on student loans so that I could be as happy as I am -- being a teacher. Changing the world-- one kid at a time--- yyyyeaaaa....anyone who doesn't teach is a sucker.

[blah]

Anytime, Teacher!

Teacher: All I ever hear in the media is how underpaid teachers are, how under valued, mistreated, etc. Dr. Phil's fav line is to say "and by the way, I think teachers are WAAAAAY underpaid and WAAAY overworked!" Come on, really? I don't think they are. My Mom and sisters teach, they have decent lives and don't view themselves as victims. Time to move on to a more intelligent discussion board.

[Not a member of the Jackson 5]

Chuck:

What are you bragging about? You are the back end of barf! (up-chuck)

[Sue]

Teacher, try social service jobs for one.

[blah]

Teachers are only voicing the role of victim when they have to do the same job, or moreof a job and THEN have money taken away. Lets see ANYONE else in any profession have their pay cut and just take it with a smile. Anyone who disagrees with that is a total liar, or just mental.

[Reid]

Wow, did "teacher" just mock someone's sentence structure on a comments board? Glad that wasn't my teacher, sounds like a real winner. That is a good teaching no no, mocking mistakes.

[ENough]

Teacher to Alan: I am typing this slowly as you obviously do not read two (sic)good. Even teachers can use some grammar lessons it seems.

In any case I admire anyone willing to try to teach in our public schools while navigating a demanding beaurocracy and appeasing parents who think their kids are brilliant.

KUDOS to teachers!

[Fred]

Blah: It is always nice to discuss things with someone who claims others who may disagree with them are "mental" You sound like a real intelligent, tolerant person. Grow up and be adult.

[Someone]

Tito should have put down the pipe before he wrote his response - the crack disturbed his brain cells.

[Zoe]

No wonder Teacher doesn't want to use a real name, sounds really disturbed. I would be a coward too.

[Al]

I think that teaching is about as bad as it gets, no respect and no pay. I wouldn't want to do it...that being said, I'm happy to pay someone else to do it. I think they don't make enough. A teacher should never have to take a pay cut. It shows that our declining society doesn't really care about education. Although that's probably the case in places like St. Pete, Pascotucky, and other (non-)working class 'hoods, I do care. Stop Welfare and increase teacher salaries.

[blah]

Sure, Fred, GREAT ADVICE!

Thanks so much!!!!!!! Hopefully soon I can be as adult as you are. Thanks again!

[Teacher]

Enough:"TWO" was sarcastic NOT literal.

[Not a member of the Jackson 5]

Obviously someone doesn't understand sarcasm. That is an advanced skill!

[Susan]

Teaching: 9 months of work, 40K per year, paid health insurance (who gets that anymore), retirement benefit (ditto) and the only way to get fired is commit a crime. It's not a great, high flying career but its not a bad deal. I know many people who quit teaching to earn a lot less in the private session.

[Troy]

Tito/Tony/Chuck

Get a job!!! I'm a teacher and really don't care what you think. I work and I don't owe you a frickin' think for your .0002 cents you pay towards my salary. And you can take your pay cut an jam it up your loose stool.

[Dr_Dug]

The ones that don't like teaching are the losers that failed in school!! How could you not want some hot teacher after your child in school?

[Leo]

Calm down, people, it is not worth getting upset over! And to my fellow teachers: let them say what they want, they are entitled to their opinion. We know who we are, what we do, and why it is important. One of the reasons I am a teacher is because my co-workers mostly good, honest, friendly, helpful, caring individuals. It was not so when I was working for a Fortune 100 company in Florida...

[Morons on message boards]

Some of these imbeciles on here are the ones the teachers used to have to send out so they could teach. Teacher, don't pay them any mind. I wouldn't care what they think, either.
Some of us DO appreciate you and we think the School Board and Superintendent should be held accountable for spending Pinellas County Schools into oblivion. Where is their backup fund for down years? Common sense says you have one for lean years when you have to work on a balanced budget. Do they not have to take any business classes to be a superintendent?
I hope they have enough sense not to let Wilcox say another word. If he worked where I do, HR would have already put him in the parking lot. That's how they do it in the real world. Oh and good luck to him working in the corporate world. He'll be looking for another job in a year because he has zero people skills. If it's that obvious on TV and in the few situations where I have seen him in public, then it must be glaring to his employees.

[me]

Those of you complaining about teachers are jealous because you couldn't make it through college. You chose your career path as did the teachers. Teachers put up with your kids and no wonder some of the kids have such lousy attitudes considering how the parents act.

If you can read this, thank a teacher!

[wheeeeee!]

teachers are okay at least they dont stalk the kids and have sex with them!

[Mark]

I think teachers are great, I've dated several and I'm only in the ninth grade!

Dear Pat,

Have you ever been a teacher? If you haven't heard, teaching is one of the most stressful careers next to surgeons and air traffic controllers. And, those people get paid MUCH MORE. Most teachers I know are humble, self sacrificing and hard working.
-Try the job before you judge it.

[Lisa]

I felt really concerned about my teaching ability when I first started in this profession. And then, I met some of the other teachers that teach "down here" and I felt like the smartest person in the world! I think you might be one of those people.

Are the same one that was whining and complaining last year when they actually wanted us to work the hours we are contracted for!

Instead of presenting a united front, it is backstabbing little *unts like you that tear us apart from the inside!

[Mary B]

Hey everyone, this is TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. Try to show some level of admiration and respect towards the teaching profession!

[Nola-Roofus]

TEACHERS ARE NOT OVERPAID! The majority of the teachers that are educating your children are well educated outstanding members of the community that will do anything within reason to help children succeed in their studies. A few bad apples does not spoil the bunch. The media is doing their usual fine job of over-sensationalizing stories.

A good many of the teachers in the middle and high school grades have their Master's Degrees and could be making 25 - 75% more in salary in the private sector but choose not to. Yet these same educators put in just as many hours as they would working in the private sector.

Many teachers are at the school over 30 minutes before the children arrive and a lot do not leave the school until over 2 hours after the students leave. They spend that extra time at school grading papers, homework, and tests that the students turn in. This doesn't include the additional work of creating lesson plans. Many teachers spend several hours a week at home on their own time preparing for the classroom.

While many of you gripe about 2 or 3 kids getting on your nerves at home these teachers are dealing with overcrowded classes in excess of 30 students for 6 - 8 hours a day. They not only have to teach but also act disciplinarian, nurse/doctor, and in many cases a mentor.

To be a teacher requires a dedication and a commitment that many people do not nor will ever possess.

Ask me how I know . . . I gave up a very lucrative career as an engineer to teach. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

[AF]

Thank God for teachers! Thank you for what you do. You have to put up with a lot and from this message board I hope not many of these people are the parents of your students!

Teaching starts at home people!

[clay]

Mark, I'm a teacher and I found that hilarious!!!!! I was doing my teacher by the 8th grade. Maybe I was paying a little bit better attention then you in class. Anyway, keep up the teacher bashing, it is cracking me up. Just don't get to upset the next time someone criticizes your work, afterall we all need to have someobody change the oil or pick up the garbage. Just do all your former teachers proud and do it right.

[Pat]

Uh hello, I already stated that indeed I was a teacher, both grade school and middle. Pay attention students!!

[Pat]

Thank God for teachers, plumbers, social workers, petsitters,doctors and every other profession just as important as teachers.

[George W]

If you can read this blog, thank a teacher. If you can find the words to insult a teacher, thank a teacher. If you are an idiot, thank your parents.

[Deana]

My kid's younger teachers are a joke, they complain constantly about having a hectic home life and not having time to post grades and process student work. I am sure this is not common but I have noticed the younger the teacher, the crappier they can be. Every older teacher we have had has been phenomenal.

[Anti-George]

I was home schooled by my parent and I have a MBA. So no, I don't have to thank a "teacher" just my Dad. He actually let me teach myself and just checked my work, so can the corny teached slogans

[Heidi]

George: Have a Coke and a Smile, Stupid is as stupid does, Don't worry, be Happy. Regurgitating old, tired bumper stickers is really lame.

[clayw]

Lisa, That was AWESOME!!!!!!! Backstabbing and the C word in one comment. Can you either be our new super, or at least run for the board? I am serious when I say that you summed up at least 50% of the teacher population. Unfortunatly the other 50% bust their rears.

[Play Doh]

Hey Clay: You wish you did your teacher, or anyone else but the blow up doll.

[Deanna]

Clay majored in Science Fiction and creative writing, or just adolescent insult writing, guess he couldn't interest a teacher that wasn't made up.

[Clay]

Does anyone want "Nola Roofus" teaching their kids? Yikes

[George]

Yeah, well you all are dummy heads.

[George W]

Your right, I was stupid. I apologize. The MBA is very impresive, Kudos to your parents and yourself. Can your parents run for school board so they can fix this mess. Better yet, with the MBA maybe you can apply for Dr.Wilcox's vacancy. Go for it, you have my full support. As far as the slogan lady is concerned, glad to see you can read, thank your pimp.

[Clay]

I did so get my GED, so there! The first in my family in generations too. We also have indoor plumbing.

[duh]

"Dummy heads"? gee George, you are too sophisticated for me to keep up with it

[the anti-George]

George is my hero, what an articulate dude. He is what makes these comment boards a blast. You can just imagine him getting madder and madder. Goodnight Curious George! It's been fun.

[still ...laughing]

Well said, Anti-George

[anti-George W]

still laughing...........

[George W]

I am taking my ball and going home unless I can be mean and dominate the page with my less than adult prose.

[George W]

still lauging that you people have nothing better to do than bash teachers. Get a life and a smile. I will sleep just fine, unlike others who already signed off. Interesting that I still got your attention anti-george, maybe we actually do earn our money?????

[anti-teacher]

george, give it a rest. obviously the world is against you and your whiny teacher friends. you people disgust me. you think you make a difference, no, you don't.

[Kevin]

Who doesn't have an MBA? Dime a dozen--you can get them by mail.

[Miss]

Thank you EVERYONE for some great comments. As a teacher I have truly enjoyed reading, and contributing to these comments. A little bit of anger, and a lot of laughter- I am being serious. It is a real dose of reality to read some of the comments; it keeps me humble and thankful that I am still employed when thousands of others are not. I sort of feel like Pres. Bush, very few people like him but he still has a job.

[Lauren]

anti-teacher:
*mouth wide open, hanging on the floor*
You might not want to speak for a while. I think you might've already infected people with your contagious ignorance.

[PS]

Teacher,
You really shouldn't criticize others' sentence structure, when you have run-on sentences and misused parentheses in your critique. Maybe a review of diagramming sentences is needed?

Also, you have mixed tenses in your reply to Pat. Maybe that was more sarcasm that I missed?

[Tracy]

OKAY OKAY FOLKS!! Back to the issue at hand.

The "powers that be" in the school system have granted us (school board employees) a reprieve. A chance to expell a sigh of relief......Oh thank God it's only gonna be 1.5% instead of 2%.......PLEASE!! They're trying to do the same thing the Gas tycoons have been doing for years. They hit you with a bomb at first and then they dress it back a little and everybody is as happy as can be. And it's not just 1.5 or 2.0%.....it's more like 5.0 to 5.5% by the time you factor in the 3.0 - 3.5% raise we would normally have received. Don't be fooled folks. Don't let them make absolute fools out of all of us. Suggest that they eliminate just 10% of the administrative positions that Clayton has created since he's been in our employ ---- and you'll find your money, and then some

[Kevin]

Kevin,
My guess is you do not have a MBA. To all those who think we are under worked and overpaid, you really need to be taught the definition of the word perspective. If you only pay attention to the time we work on the clock, then you are correct. Unfortunately for us, we do not get to bill students for the hours we work grading, coming up with lesson plans, giving makeup tests, etc. Instead, we have to do these things to perform our jobs at a high level which many of us do. Unlike many of you, we cannot simply clock out and leave our work behind when we go. Our work is constantly with us. So please do not judge us by the standards that are set by other more common jobs.

Kind of missed the real story here, 1.1 million less in property insurance. That's because they closed SO MANY SCHOOLS!!! This includes MY neighborhood's school.

[Proud Ridgecrest Mom]

To all of the wonderful teachers (plus front office staff, principals, vice principals, reading teachers, pe coaches... all the people who report to work at schools every day) out there, especially those at Ridgecrest Elementary School where my daughter attends... THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB YOU DO WITH MY DAUGHGTER AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUDENTS EVERY DAY.

Ridgecrest Elementary is a school filled with teachers and other staff members who really care about the students. The front office staff knows the first names of over 75% of the students and several have been very active in the school's PTA. They greet everyone with a smile "Good morning, how can I help you?"

This is National Teacher Appreiciation Week and I am ashamed to read some of these comments so far.

Have you ever driven by a school several hours after the final school bell rings? There are still cars there, and it is not just the janitors! I receive emails from teachers an hour before school starts and up to 2 1/2 hours after school ends (the teachers are emailing from school, not home).

How many kids do you have to watch every day? Not 18, that's for sure. These teachers have 18+ kids under their direction, kids of various learning levels.

I volunteer a lot, over 300 hours so far, and have even ridden as the adult in charge on a bus with 50+ kids (after school PTA activity) and let me tell you, there is no way I could ever teach!

Do you know how often teachers must use their own money to supplement classroom items? I am talking about them buying pencils, copy paper, ink, and class reading books out of their salary.

Do you know how often they must spend time at home correcting homework and in class work; creating lesson plans; and dealing with emails from parents?

How many other jobs offer pay cuts and the workers keep working hard? I know that I would be furious if my husband's job required him to take a pay cut in order to keep his job. Gas, groceries, every daily expense is going up and we expect these teachers and staff to take a pay cut and return to school in August with smiles on their face.

To those of you who keep complaining about everything, when was the last time that you stepped foot on campus? Have you ever volunteered? have you even talked with anyone who has children in school? Nah, you're too busy with your secure job where you don't get a pay cut and typing trashy comments like seen above.

Try to find a way to HELP the schools, or put a sock in it!

To All you school employees, THANK YOU. Some of us parents really appreiciate the hard job that you face every day.

Stacey: PROUD Ridgecrest Mom, volunteer & very active PTA member

[Kevin H]

When people make negative comments about teachers, unless warranted (i.e. Debra Lafave), it shows they know nothing about the profession and what is really involved...For the teachers that take pride in what they do, keep working hard, because the majority of the world appreciates you...I have a degree in education, and I just couldn't support my family on the income that teachers start with in Pinellas...I was making $15,000 a year more without my degree...How sad is it when an hourly employee can make more than a professional paid salary?..I would really look into what the administration is doing, because it really sounds as if they are trying to push the longer tenured teachers out by trying to piss them off when they take their money away, which is probably what the admin wants so that it would allow them to bring in much cheaper and younger teachers...So, pay attention....

[Tito]

Teaching is a job for an inferior gender. Why there are so many loser "men" in the profession, I'll never understand.

[jd]

Don't buy into Tito, Tom and others who have nothing better to do with their time than to try to incite chaos. "inferior gender," this is the mentality we are dealing with remember, LOL.

[jensaph]

Proud Ridgecrest Mom :

Thank you! I am a teacher (somewhere else in the county) and I limit my time on the board because of the constant bashing. I realize that there are a few ( a few too many) terrible teachers out there, but it hurts to read these things.

I know that we work the long hours that you mentioned. I have the at home workload and spend 2 hours extra a day minimum at the campus. THat is true - but it is the only way to be sure my students get what they need. I knew the pay coming in, didn't think about cuts (who does). I LOVE my job, it just pains me to see the ignorance of others who enjoy bashing people to feel better about their lot in life. What pains me more is to see it reflected in the kids. It is ashame to hear some of this coming out of their mouths. It is hard to teach to children who are taught to disrespect their teachers. It is almost getting to the point of a prejudice. What a sad place for our county, state, and country to be.

Thanks for the kind words - they go a long way!

Thankful teacher

you want to save money,stop throwing away textbooks,just at the school i work at about 10,000 dollars worth will hit the trash today and they have never been used that just the start........