Hebron Dollars & Sense

Remember, salaries are NOT the entire picture. There are lots of perks with these positions. If I am reading it correctly, the attachment "Administrator Contract - Michelle Puhlick.pdf" has "perks" spelled out for ’all administrators - directors under the superintendent level. The document (contract) is good through 2011. Some sections are interesting and need an additional read or two for complete understanding. Old salaries (which are suppose to match current salaries) are at the end of the pdf file. To enlarge the text that I have added from the pdf file - simply click on the text to enlarge it.

I believe the Superintendent is excluded from the perks in this particular document ... because of the definition" ... below the rank of superintendent/Asst Superintendent):
Extra benefits are significant and are outlined for insurance (health, dental, life - pg 8 or 9. In addition each administrator is given sick leave, personal leave, holidays and vacation days. (Just like the general public who work in industry.) School Administrators are also provided with long term disability insurance by the board (60% of their salary with a max of 6K per month until individual is 65 years of age), also given group life insurance at 2x their annual salary, 100% dental and 50% dental for their dependents, and the payment schedule for health insurance is minimal too (18% yr 1, 18.5% year 2, 19 % in year 3).

MONIES PAID FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ... Board agrees to 5200 for professional development in the budget which supposedly equates to $1300/administrator. Sounds like there are 4 administrators(?) See list below .. 2 principals, one assistant principal and the curriculum specialist.

If there are reductions in staff, "bumping" will come into play with reductions and the administrator can go into the teachers bargaining unit -- replacing someone on a lower rung of the ladder. Basically, they take a demotion and revert to "teacher" status.

The old salaries are listed at the end ... these are really the base salaries for the current positions. Read through this document yourself. I plan to do so with the budget as a companion document. Everything has been completely defined and listed in this document.

Believe me, this additional perks are significant and these folks have no reason to complain. They are (as Garrison Keillor would say) ".... teachers in HEBRON where the children are well behave, their parents participate and volunteer and everyone is well dressed, fed, polite ... just like the residents of "Lake Wobegon".

We need to look at the superintendents contract and see what we find written in there ... we all know she is receiving travel money but what else ...?? REMEMBER OUR TAX DOLLAR IS PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS!!

Yep, and what do the teachers' benefits look like? Didn't we hear complaints when the current contract was forged that their portion of insurance went up? But went up as opposed to what? I believe they are still receiving incredibly generous health benefits. And what about dental? Life? Pension? Are they contributing toward their pension, or is it non-contributory? One of the kindergarten teachers is making over $75K. That is for an 180-day year, which comes to just about $100K, I believe, if she were working a "regular" year in industry. Not to mention the benefits. We're talking KINDERGARTEN kids, in Hebron, with tons of para support, and parents coming in to assist as well just about every day of the week. There are "classroom parents" assigned in kindergarten, who put together a calendar for the teachers. The parents are so involved/supportive in Hebron, that the teachers don't even have to do that for themselves. Preschool teachers in town make a fraction of that amount. Talk to Jennifer Blaise or Jolene Yorio, both of whom have been working at Hebron Center Nursery School for many years. And they both show an enthusiasm and love for those children that I have not seen in the kindergarten teachers at Gilead Hill. They are warm. They enjoy those kids. You can see it in the way that they interact with them. I didn't see any of that enthusiasm or warmth in the three K teachers that I have had the opportunity to observe. But I'm getting off track here. The point is--look at those numbers. Is there any reason that the BOE shouldn't play hardball with the union in the upcoming weeks? I don't think parents can allow themselves to be frightened by the administration. Let them threaten to increase class size, cut programs, lay off teachers. Doesn't the insanity need to stop somewhere?

Taxpayer wrote:
Yep, and what do the teachers' benefits look like? Didn't we hear complaints when the current contract was forged that their portion of insurance went up? But went up as opposed to what? I believe they are still receiving incredibly generous health benefits. And what about dental? Life? Pension? Are they contributing toward their pension, or is it non-contributory? One of the kindergarten teachers is making over $75K. That is for an 180-day year, which comes to just about $100K, I believe, if she were working a "regular" year in industry. Not to mention the benefits. We're talking KINDERGARTEN kids, in Hebron, with tons of para support, and parents coming in to assist as well just about every day of the week. There are "classroom parents" assigned in kindergarten, who put together a calendar for the teachers. The parents are so involved/supportive in Hebron, that the teachers don't even have to do that for themselves. Preschool teachers in town make a fraction of that amount. Talk to Jennifer Blaise or Jolene Yorio, both of whom have been working at Hebron Center Nursery School for many years. And they both show an enthusiasm and love for those children that I have not seen in the kindergarten teachers at Gilead Hill. They are warm. They enjoy those kids. You can see it in the way that they interact with them. I didn't see any of that enthusiasm or warmth in the three K teachers that I have had the opportunity to observe. But I'm getting off track here. The point is--look at those numbers. Is there any reason that the BOE shouldn't play hardball with the union in the upcoming weeks? I don't think parents can allow themselves to be frightened by the administration. Let them threaten to increase class size, cut programs, lay off teachers. Doesn't the insanity need to stop somewhere?


WELL PUT
NUFF SAID!

On My Way To Work

Ever see A Teacher Work $aturdays Just to Make Ends meet??

GOTTA GO, EXCELLENT Dialoge On This, QUITE Factual As I See It

Yes, I've got to work today as well. I'm certain that some of our teachers have tasks that they are forced to accomplish during the weekend as well. But they are being compensated handsomely, and we are doing it because we have to, because we can barely pay our bills. There's a big difference.

I just wanted to clarify what I said in my earlier post about our K teachers. I don't mean to suggest that they are not doing an excellent job, because I believe that they are. But there is a certain passion missing, from what I've seen. When you watch one of our preschool teachers interact with the children, it's obvious that they enjoy them and they enjoy interacting with them. I haven't gotten that same impression from the K teachers I've had the opportunity to observe. In contrast, they seem to be driven by something other than a passion for our children.

Perhaps the difference is in the pay scale? Why would the preschool teachers stay if they were not driven by a love for the kids, considering their meager compensation? In contrast, why would the public school teachers leave, when they have the dangling carrot of an "industry comparable" salary of $100K to drive them, not to mention the other perks involved?

To reiterate, I'm not trying to bash the K teachers in town. Again, from what I've seen our children are getting an excellent education at Gilead Hill School. But the difference in compensation between the preschool teachers and the K teachers is striking. And from what I can gather, the job description isn't all that different.

As I wrote previously:Remember, salaries are NOT the entire picture. There are lots of perks with these positions. Read through the superintendents contract today which is valid from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2012 - remember the year is a fiscal year that runs from July-June. The Superintendent is known as the CEO of the board. I think this is appropriate because it is "big business".

Salary listed as 2 parts in the contract - prior to July 1 of each year, the base salary can be re-negotiated (page 3).

cash part $131,250
plus a $16,000 annuity portion (pre-tax basis into a tax-sheltered annuity)

Leave: 15 days sick, 5 personal days and 25 vacation day (10 days of vacation may be carried to next year - may get per diem rate for up to 10 vacation days in excess of the carry-over clause)
Health/Dental Insurance: pre-tax basis and superintendent paid 18% ('06-07) and I did not find increments to this 18%. It is clearly spelled out that the superintendent has the right to enroll herself, her spouse and her eligible dependents in the same health and dental insurance provided by the board.
Reimbursement for use of Superintendents Automobile ****
**** This LISTING is the budget figure ($4800/year) I have been questioning for a couple of years now without a direct answer. In the contract it is "" at $400 per month. Check out PAGE 7 of the contract!! One hundred dollars/week is a lot of gasoline/mileage for one person -- again, paid by the tax payers!!
Life Insurance paid by Board (i.e., Hebron Tax payers) for annual salary 2x
Long Term Disability Insurance paid by Board (i.e., Hebron Tax payers)
Professional development $1500/yr to include "reasonable travel expenses"...because?, the automobile reimbursement is not enough?!?
Tuition Reimbursement $2000/yr. Here is one blatant mistake .. this does not appear to be [b]time-limited and can cover 1 course/year for several years.
Executive Session the BOE uses this for the superintendents evaluation (pg 8) -- where is the transparency??
Dues of Professional organizations at BOE expense "subject to budgeted appropriations and prior approval of the board" -- page 10

Folks, The Devil's Is In The Details

Mighty Dry Reading ( That's The Way The Budget Mice/Munchkins/Minions & "Slick Billy with Heels" Like It, ( Keep Us Sheeple Dumb / Stupid & CONFUSED) But Keep In Mind How They Cloak The Real Numbers Under Many "Catchall Phrases" That Confuse & "Fuzz" The Real Co$t/Meaning Of a Line Item

Don't Judge A Budget By It's Cover, Ya GOTTA READ BETWEEN THE LINES TOTALLY FOR THE REAL MEANING/CO$T OF A Request/DEMAND

Mombert is "SPOT ON" With Her "Snapshot" Of The Mundane Details Of The HBOE Budget/Salarys

OT

Can't Wait To See The Prelim Numbers/Request/DEMAND$ Made Public Of "Slick Bobbie" & The Rboe

Have a Good Idea what It Will Be, Cannot Speculate Cuz Of a Promise I Made

Stay Tuned Iz All I can $ay For Now


ALL THE WAY WITH HDK!!