Comments on: On vacation

By: J.R.

J.R. — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:56:17 +0000

Oakland Teacher,
School taxes actually do benefit everyone, good schools raise the property values of homes and neighborhoods, that is why it is imperative that we insist upon both parental responsibility and the ability to keep the best teachers. This is not about hate, this is part of mature responsibility to upcoming generations of children.Good schools don’t just happen, it takes good teachers and good parents and good administrative leadership working together. We can’t afford slackers any more(parents or teachers).

By: Oakland Teacher

Oakland Teacher — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:38:02 +0000

I own a home in Oakland and pay property taxes. I certainly know that my money is not endless. I would not be able to be a homeowner except that I had another career (that required less education and paid far more money) before becoming a teacher (which I feel is my real calling). I will continue to pay (100%) for and vote for taxes that benefit my community. My next door neighbors (whose children are adults) vote for and pay for city and school taxes that don’t personally benefit them. It is sad that so many people who opt out of public education (through charters or private school) become haters of everything connected with public schools. No, they are not perfect by any stretch, but neither are they evil incarnate (nor the teachers who teach in them). I can’t imagine what it would feel like to carry around so much hate all the time toward an entire group of people. Sad!

By: Chauncey

Chauncey — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:03:42 +0000

Charter school parents pay 100% of their share of parcel taxes on their individual statements. Our kids dont go to OUSD and recieve 15% of the revenue? Hell yes it does not add up-thats what I am saying!

I got my damn tax bill. Perhaps you dont own a home Gordon-I do and my kids go to charters.

You old district minded folks talk similar to school boards- money is endless! Maybe because it is not your money, and you do not know how desperation of ghetto project feels like?

I think American Ed will implode- too many people who cannot think outside the box when it comes to spending.

By: Hot R

Hot R — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:14:59 +0000

Sorry Oak Teach – it’s too late. The recent vote against the school parcel tax in Alameda showed that we are indeed becoming a society “like that.” Most of the arguments against the parcel tax in the blogs and letters to the editor suggested that “those” people (parents with children in public school) should pay and not burden the rest of “us.” They also sent letters to our two weekly papers which attacked Alameda for its high administrative costs (among lowest in the state), poor test scores (a lie) lazy teachers who make too much from their pension funds (yipes that is really inaccurate) and high legal costs (because the District is in court defending itself against lawsuit challenging the legality of the parcel tax). Inotherwords, if they can do that to a good to excellent school system like Alameda’s what will they do to the Oakland parcel tax? In the end Alameda’s parcel tax lost by 1% of the vote. But the opponent’s strategy was clear. Through enough “stuff” against the wall and something is bound to stick – especially in an anti-education climate that our public officials have created over the last 20 years.

By: Gordon Danning

Gordon Danning — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:23:30 +0000

Oakland Teacher:

Well said.

Also, it seems to me that #5 and #7 have their math wrong. Charter parents are not paying 100% of the bill; if, say, 20% of Oakland kids are in charter schools, then at most their parents can be said to be paying 20% of the bill. IF there is an equity question re: the tax, then it relates to the number of kids educated by the district and by charters, versus the amount of money each gets.

By: Oakland Teacher

Oakland Teacher — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:52:21 +0000

While I have mixed feelings about the proposed parcel tax, I want to comment on the following complaint made by posters #5 and #7:

“So charter parents must pay 100%, but get 15% back? This is good?”

As a civilized society, we are expected to contribute to that which benefits society as a whole, not only that which personally benefits us. If every person who does not have any school age children or their children attend private school votes against every single education parcel tax, where would we be? #7 complains about only receiving 15% of the money; there are many, many families who would not “receive” any of the money. Along that same line of thinking, should people in the hills vote against any public safety measures, because they may not be really affected by crime? Should people who buy all their books vote against library measures? I really hate to think that we are becoming a society who is incapable of thinking about anyone but ourselves, and can only gauge societal value by personal gain. While there may be valid reasons for not supporting the proposed parcel tax, that rationale is not one of them.

By: Gordon Danning

Gordon Danning — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:23:59 +0000

Hot R:

Are you talking on-site administrators, or downtown administrators? On-site administrators certainly don’t make twice what a teacher makes – its more like an additional 15K – 20K, compared to a teacher with similar experience (tho the district might be pretty desperate for administrators; it seems like they are hiring administrators with less teaching experience than used to be the norm).

I can’t speak of other schools, but Oakland High has 4 administrators, including the principal, for 1700 students, 80+ teachers, probably 50 additional adults, etc. They must evaluate teachers, supervise sports and after school events, deal with discipline, deal with conflicts, complaints and inquires involving students, parents, and employees, handle all sorts of paperwork, attend various meetings, handle state testing, etc, etc, etc. We would be better off with more administrators, frankly.

By: Hot R

Hot R — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:25:08 +0000

You’re right. No one would take the job. You’re not teaching your administrating. But how useful are they really? Charter schools have more money because they lose an administrative level. That proves they are not necessary. Oakland has always been a prime example of too many administrators who may work 12 months, but at half the pace and twice the salary of a good classroom teacher. Working 2 more months for a failing school district does not justify the pay scale.

By: Gordon Danning

Gordon Danning — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:00:04 +0000

Hot R:

Administrators make more than teachers because: 1)They work 12 months, not 10; and 2) Supply and demand. No one would take the job if it didn’t pay more (I am speaking of on-site administrators). Being a school-site administrator is an awful, thankless job.

By: Hot R

Hot R — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:48:53 +0000

This was a terrific and important article. Thank God the Trib still covers the travesty of Oakland education. Murphy correctly points out that the trend is to attack the teacher unions who cannot have it both ways – guaranteed pay raises, seniority and small class sizes. Times have changed and the public simply won’t fund it after 20 years of attacks on education, blaming everyone BUT the parents and poor socio-economic conditions for all the problems of our youth. Like it or not, “most” people believe the school system is bloated and unresponsive to change and blame seniority, high paid administrators and unions. The recent publicity about the casino losses of a union official as well as Elihu Harris and his buddies running the Peralta system into the ground is further evidence of this. Can anyone really deny that this is true?

The two recently filed lawsuits are necessary to overturn the apple cart and pay teachers a fair wage, lengthen, not shorten the school year, go to a “value added” merit pay system for extraordinary teachers, equalize pay throughout the state, and give extra (combat?) pay for those teachers willing to work in lower socio-economic areas. And by the way, wny should any administrator make more than a teacher or even twice as much?