Third grade reading guarantee
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Schools
Forum Name: School Achievements
Forum Description: From Academic results to group and individual achievements
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4676
Printed Date: Nov 24 2024 at 7:17am
Topic: Third grade reading guarantee
Posted By: sassygirl
Subject: Third grade reading guarantee
Date Posted: Jul 18 2012 at 7:22pm
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I just read a Journal article about Ohio's third-grade reading guarantee. The mandate requires districts to hold back third-graders if they are not reading at grade level. While I don't agree with this strategy, I find it interesting that Middletown School officials didn't know it was coming.
In the article Betsy Carter, senior director of learning for Middletown City Schools, indicated that they were not aware of the new rule. She said that she spent an hour on the phone with a counselor at the Ohio Department of Education talking about the guarantee. Where has she been? This mandate was announced at least a year ago. Everyone knew that this mandate was coming. Why wasn't she prepared? She also whined about the financial implications the guarantee requires citing the need for teachers and administrators to "create improvement plans, which will add layer upon layers of more specific things that teachers are being asked to do." The state has $13 million in grants to help fund the guarantee's requirements. What's her point? |
Replies:
Posted By: Hermes
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 8:52am
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She is probably afraid that teachers might actually have to do their job. ------------- No more democrats no more republicans,vote Constitution Party !! |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 9:19am
Teachers do their job, some better than others, but tenure, protecting their turf, a comfy retirement, paid 3 months off during the year, maintaining raises based on a non-merit system and negotiating raises three years into the future without actually having done the work as yet, seem to be the top priorities based on the efforts made to protect them against SB5. Admin. are no better either in the overall scheme of things. Both groups need to step down off the cloud and see the rest of the world around them. |
Hermes wrote:Posted By: chmoore1
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 12:04pm
| Vet: just to be accurate, teachers contribute much more to their retirement than workers who are under social security. They are required to pay 9% instead of 4.2% (2012). The military seems to have a "comfy" retirement when it allows one to get "twenty years and out." Teachers are not "paid 3 months off during the year." They may have their pay spread out over 12 months, but it is for work performed during the school year, August through May or June. "Negotiating raises three years into the future without actually having done the work as yet": isn't this what all unions do in the private sector? I believe AK employees always have a contract two or three years in advance with raises approved in advance. JMO. For the record, I am not a teacher, and I don't work for a school system. chmoore |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 3:24pm
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chmoore, Just to be accurate, the military "seem" to have a comfortable retirement because they EARNED IT!!! I defy anyone to show me a job where they earn so little during the course of their career and work as hard, are as important to this country, and are as deserving of the benefit they receive for 20 years of faithful service. I think you owe an apology to everyone who has served honorably in the military. For the record, I served a 4 year enlistment and did not retire from the military! |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 3:57pm
9%? Is that all? Private sector people have been contributing 5-10 and 15% for years. But that is not what bother me the most about public sector union jobs. The real rub is health care, dental, and vision contributions for public sector workers. They are not paying near 15% out of paycheck to conribute to their benefits package. Private sector employers have asked the employees for years now to contribute that and more. THAT's THE RUB WITH ME. What the public sector isn't made to contribute toward their bennies, the taxpayer from the private sector must make up the difference. Why, when the wages between public and private sectors are basically proportional? They ought to pay their fair share chmoore1. I have two teachers that live "next door" to me. I have seen them enjoying their summers now for 6 years when the rest of us working stiffs get in the frikkin' car at 5AM and go the work....year around, not 3 months off. Yes, chmoore1, they get the dam summer off. They aren't teaching. School is not in session. There is no reason for them to show up at school. "Spread out over 12 months"? What the? You can spin it any way you want but the bottom line is they are paid a nice salary equivalent to a full year and they show up for work for 9 months. That's a fact. How would you substantiate the summer months of inactivity? What are they doing to make you think they are "working"? As to your comment "Negotiating raises three years into the future without actually having done the work as yet": isn't this what all unions do in the private sector? True....but I'm not a fan of private unions either. Just as bad as public unions. No difference. Same game played. Never worked for a union shop in 44 years. Do know that their world is light years away from non-union shops. Don't like it that union shops get a pay raise in "years to come" without doing the work first. Perfect opportunity to squelch productivity. Money is already there no matter what kind of job they do. No, the merit system is what they need based on the assessement of what they DID CONTRIBUTE LAST YEAR. They don't want that. Holds them accountable for their performance and bursts their little pampered world. "I believe AK employees always have a contract two or three years in advance with raises approved in advance" And, we've all seen where AK has gone in relation to previous years, haven't we? Legacy costs? Benefit costs squeezing the company with continual demands from union folks. Is it really the best system for employer/worker progression and company stability? Yes, so does GM, Ford and Chrysler but stories are told where they sleep half a shift, goof off, live well above the non-union ranks (and some in high rent neighborhoods with all their toys in the driveway). and have their screwoffs protected by the unions from getting fired. Just stories of course. Don't know if they are valid. 
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Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 4:07pm
| There is a definite disconnect between the "pressures" school boards and administrators are under to improve performance and the realization that the teachers who actually have to implement the plans are not going to be accountable -- when's the last time a teacher (Middletown at least) was let go for poor performance? when's the last time a teacher's pay was reduced for performance? |
Posted By: chmoore1
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 4:36pm
| Vet: the current rate for social security "contributions" BY LAW is 4.2% up to $110,100 earned income. If someone is paying more than that, something is amiss. 15%??? You can't just throw these unfounded figures out there to bolster your argument. Next: not paying near 15% for medical insurance? I watched Middletown's renegotiations with their teachers last year. "Frozen" wages, 1% reduction this year, 1% reduction next year. Board payment for health insurance is approximately $1,000/mo. Employee premium is approximately $150.00/month. Seems like 15% to me ($1,000 x 15% is $150.00). Next, equal pay to corporate world? Bachelor's degree gets you $32-34,000/year. MUST work toward master's degree, $300/credit hour x 48 hours = $14,400, bumps pay a little over $1,000/yr. Private sector for bachelor's degree, at least upper 30's to low 40's. Next: summer off. Senario one: teacher can get paid during school year only; from August through some part of June. OR, they can take DEFFERED payment to be paid the same annual salary, but for 12 REDUCED pays, rather than 9 regular pays. "Spin it any way you like, etc." they get paid for what they work! This really is a useless point to argue, which I know that you understand. Finally, of course you know the stories about goof-offs in factories---you've been around factory workers and have heard all the stories. Is your battle with unions or that some people have a better life than you? You work at Wright-Pat for a contractor. Is the contractor union? Perhaps that's the rub for you. chmoore |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 8:55pm
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ch....
Vet: the current rate for social security "contributions" BY LAW is 4.2% up to $110,100 earned income. If someone is paying more than that, something is amiss. 15%??? I must have misunderstood your post. I was referring to the amount one is allowed to contribute into their retirement in many companies in the private sector. An employee is allowed to contribute, along with matching funds from the company, a sum of 5-10 or 15% out of their paychecks and send it to their retirement fund. Social Security is taken each pay on an "involuntary" basis (as are Fed and State taxes). ch.... Employee premium is approximately $150.00/month My portion of the monthly premium for health care is ~ $300.00 taking $150 bi-weekly out of my check. My portion for the dental premium is $80 a pay or $160/month. Vision is a small payment each month for me. I have the best that Anthem offers as my wife has so many medical issues. ch..... Private sector for bachelor's degree, at least upper 30's to low 40's. Generalized statement. Might be accurate. Pay depends on career field just as the public sector does. ch.... "Spin it any way you like, etc." they get paid for what they work! This really is a useless point to argue, which I know that you understand. We will drop the subject. All I know is that many teachers make in the 50's and above and get the summers off---ie, they are not in the classroom. Ya don't get the summers off working in private business unless you own the business and make that choice. ch.... Is your battle with unions or that some people have a better life than you? The truth? 50/50.....a little of both. ch.... You work at Wright-Pat for a contractor. Is the contractor union? No, but I don't need a union speaking for me. My employer treats the employees very well.(unlike other employers I have worked for) Pay, bennies and the working environment are excellent for research work and the people are very nice. No complaints. Dam lucky to have the job. The poor ex-AK Research Center guy across the street has been unemployed for over two years now. Dam I feel sorry for him. Been there three times in 44 years. Nice talking to you ch. |
Posted By: chmoore1
Date Posted: Jul 19 2012 at 9:44pm
| Vet: thank you for the enjoyable reply! I think that we agree on more than the surface indicates. Here is something that you might have missed in your other post about the combined Business Manager: Middletown's recent BM earned about $85,000 if I remember correctly from last spring's list of public salaries. Monroe's probably made about the same---I don't remember---plus he had HR responsibilities. Middletown now has food service, custodial/maintenance and transportation contracted out. Monroe has transportation, custodial/maintenance, and---possibly---food service (but I may be wrong about that one). HR will be done by Dr. Lolli according to one article. Each district will pay 1/2 of his $107,500!!!! salary. Mr. Long made 99,000 at Springboro, with responsibility for each of those areas, including HR. His "combined" salary jumped from about $85,000 to $107,500, with far less responsibilities. Each district will have a half-time Business Manager (21/2 days per weeks). Didn't really save anything on that set-up. Maybe 1/2 of $85,000 would have saved some money for .5 employee. chmoore |
Posted By: tracyl
Date Posted: Jul 20 2012 at 11:48am
| I am not sure why Ms. Carter was surprised by this either. The guarantee is actually a change to the existing law of holding back 3rd graders who score, I believe (I haven't looked at the law recently so I apologize if I am wrong), basic on the OAA. They are supposed to be held back then but are not. My understanding is that the loophole is summer school, which MCSD cut and tutoring programs which are provided by outside resources. Gone are the days when, if you didn't pass the state test, you were required to take summer school and retake the state test to move on to the next grade. Talk about a parent motivator. It is frowned upon in this district to hold back students beyond the 2nd grade so, to my knowledge, it doesn't happen often. Again, I could be wrong. |
Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: Jul 20 2012 at 12:30pm
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It has to start at the top. The superintendent has to be held accountable for getting rid of people who don't perform. I have seen him get rid of people who do their jobs very well. Those who are failures, are not held accountable.
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Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: Jul 20 2012 at 12:33pm
| I am more concerned about how much of our tax dollars are contributed to the retirement funds of superintendents, treasurers, and school administrators. |
Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: Jul 20 2012 at 12:36pm
| I thought she was going to say that they need to pass a levy to pay for the mandate. |
Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: Jul 20 2012 at 12:41pm
| They could save a whole lot of tax payer dollars if they just merge the two districts back into one. Eliminate one superintendent, one treasurer, the entire administrative and support services in central office. |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Jul 21 2012 at 8:43pm
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chmoore1, I paid 8.4% of my income towards social security for 22 years. Stop and think about it. Pacman  |
Posted By: chmoore1
Date Posted: Jul 22 2012 at 2:53am
| Pacman: why? Were you self-employed? If you were an "employee" of a private company, you only contributed 4.2% by law. If you were self-employed, then that is not part of this discussion. This was public employee compared to private employee. chmoore |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Jul 22 2012 at 8:04pm
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Chmoore1, I was a private company Pacman |