Comments on: The tax for teachers failed. What next?

By: O’Connell’s charter school tax — of OUSD - The Education Report - Katy Murphy covers what’s going on in the Oakland schools

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:00:22 +0000

[...] that failed parcel tax that State Superintendent Jack O’Connell put on the November ballot — the one for [...]

By: Let's be sensible

Let's be sensible — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:47:15 +0000

Salaries frozen since 1999 – and good faith teachers even taking a pay cut!!
It is time for OUSD to step up and reward their teachers if they want to have any teachers left! I agree that students have it hard enough without adding labor disruption to their school year.

Maybe it is time for the district to think about offering retirement incentive (pay for medical benefits until 65 for those who have worked in the district more than 20 years or give teachers a monetary incentive to retire), as district can save money by hiring 2 new teachers for every one that retires that is at the top of the salary schedule–many continue to work for benefits.

By: Rose

Rose — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:59:22 +0000

One of the biggest and fastest growing expenses school districts have is health insurance benefits for personnel. If the governor had signed SB840, the single payer health care bill sponsored by Sheila Kuehl, and passed by the legislature this year, that expense would have been eliminated and those funds could have be spent on teacher salaries or other needs.

School districts should be advocating for the passage and rapid implementation of this legislation. The 8 billion dollars annually California will save on medical care will benefit us all.

By: TheTruthHurts

TheTruthHurts — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:39:10 +0000

I think my screen name is truly appropriate at this point. This is not a good situation at all. I don’t have any solutions. Oakland is behind the eight ball again. I think the teachers asked for 20% and I don’t know where the blood from this turnip will come from.

$39K in California is not sufficient to build a life on. Not if you want luxuries like a car, vacations or an occassional dinner out. I guess it wasn’t much better in my day when teachers made 30% of their income doing something in the summer. Whatever they do, I hope both side realize that the kids get hurt most in labor unrest. The state certainly doesn’t get hurt.

By: John

John — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:47:30 +0000

“Beamed from Planet Liberal to harass the good people.”

That’s quite good Cranky!

By: cranky teacher

cranky teacher — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:49:26 +0000

Oakland teachers make the same as we did in 1999, starting at 39.5K. Boy howdy.

The upside for students? Turnover is so high that when their hormones come in they’ll probably get to ogle a TFA-style teacher as young and attractive as the one pictured.

The bad news? When he or she’s developed his/her hard-earned chops by year five, he/she’ll be long gone to a different profession or district.

Whoo! Ain’t it fun!

But of course, our educational system has nothing to do with the plant-stealers John is worrying about (although I only know one kind of plant folks actually bother to steal, J!). Criminals are beamed from Planet Liberal to harass the good people, right?

Good thing cops start at 70K, not counting all that overtime, since they’re doing such a good job with the crime. And the prison guards, and the lawyers, and the judges…

(OK, Nextset/John, I’ve lined it up for you on a tee…)

By: John

John — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:40:31 +0000

Great! A few dollars retained by Oakland’s grossly over taxed property owners! They can spend the savings on a potted plant, and burglar alarm to protect it. Don’t let the cat out!