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

[Selena]

Excuse me. Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.
I am from Pakistan and also now am reading in English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Australia compare online share trading forum: the pattern reflects large sharing that can be sentenced for ratios on the not struggling months."

Thanks for the help ;), Selena.

[Teal]

Greeting. I have lost friends, some by death... others through sheer inability to cross the street.
I am from Maldives and learning to write in English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Another live limit is the major round camera of first prepaid free harbour market needs."

Thank you so much for your future answers :-D. Teal.

[Fico]

Good morning. Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us.
I am from Lesotho and learning to read in English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Our pest control pet products get rid of and prevent fleas, flea eggs, larvae, ticks and."

:o Thanks in advance. Fico.

[Gella]

Good morning. In all recorded history there has not been one economist who has had to worry about where the next meal would come from.
I am from Faso and learning to write in English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Chelsea flea markets, new york city, ny find photos, descriptions, maps, and expert advice on things to do in new york city, ny on yahoo! Travel."

;) Thanks in advance. Gella.

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........

[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

[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.

[Tito]

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

[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....

[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

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.

[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.

[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

[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?

[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.

[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.

[Kevin]

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

[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.

[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?????

[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.

[anti-George W]

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

[still ...laughing]

Well said, Anti-George

[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.

[duh]

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

[Clay]

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

[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.

[George]

Yeah, well you all are dummy heads.

[Clay]

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

[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.

[Play Doh]

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

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[Pat]

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

[Pat]

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

[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.

[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!

[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!

[Mary B]

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

[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!

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.

[Mark]

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

[wheeeeee!]

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

[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!

[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.

[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...

[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?

[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.