School Board Approves Pay Bump For Teachers

GHS employee March 22, 2013 at 04:13 pm

Some of the highest paid teachers in the state and it is important to stay that way.

O section retired March 22, 2013 at 04:49 pm

I am a retiree that is seeing my state pension reduced and reading today that every teacher got a 3% pay increase. I don't begrudge public school teachers getting a raise but do we have the money to pay this now and in the future or will there be budget cuts and layoffs? I thought they needed money from public school open enrollment for health insurance. I am confused and I don't understand how all this makes sense.

Mary March 22, 2013 at 05:04 pm

Good teaching should be rewarded. Greendale High School is the school it is because of the teachers.

Roxy momma March 22, 2013 at 06:21 pm

I agree but with across the board increase even the bad ones have been given a raise and those that are new and haven't proven their teaching skills get the same increase as our seasoned ones. Is Greendale going to use act 10 to its advantage and for the advantage of good teachers or continue to move with the union and treat all teachers the same. I feel sorry for you great teachers who will not be getting the raise you deserve - Greendale please start looking at teachers individually and pay them accordingly not across the board that is how you will retain great teachers and draw new ones. When you know you are going to be rewarded for what you do that's the place you want to work.

greendale-hush-hush March 22, 2013 at 06:27 pm

I am finally glad to see the Greendale Schools moving in the right direction. But, only a lousy 3%? I wonder how much did administrator pay go up? More than that is my guess. This may result in higher taxes for Greendalers, but I say it worth it. If you don't want to pay the higher taxes, move somewhere else.

greendale-hush-hush March 22, 2013 at 06:36 pm

And ... it is really great to finally have a pro-union superintendent in Greendale! With the 5-0 vote on the raise it shows we are finally moving in the right direction with pro-union school board and super. A breath of fresh air! Take that Scott Walker!

Nightrider March 22, 2013 at 10:10 pm

I would prefer a pro children and family board of education and superintendent instead of pro-union superintendent finally in power in our Village.
The voters will decide if this is a good decision or not. The board of education and superintendent did this before the election so the voters can support or decline the incumbents Thomas Slota Victoria Mccormick and Mel Kozmonovic. They put their money where their mouth is.

Bob March 22, 2013 at 10:18 pm

To clarify, by putting their money where their mouth is, each of the school board members affirmed giving the teachers a pay raise of 3% across the board if the article is right and did not apply any of the authority or power ACT 10 and Governor Walker gives them to put money for kids instead of the teacher pay.
I disagree with this but we must respect that they did this before the election instead of after when they could have done it and who could judge them for a year. They acted in accordance to what they think is right.

Richard Sheridan March 22, 2013 at 11:03 pm

This is an egregious decision by a pro union superintendent and school board walking in lock step together. Vote for the challengers and vote for the students over the teachers and the taxpayers. Greendale, get ready for Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling to tea up this pro union school board and superintendent.

Rschneed March 22, 2013 at 11:34 pm

Mark Belling and Charlie Sykes are entertainers, nothing more, nothing less. To actually take stock in what either of these people say is ridiculous. If anyone dares to call in and dissent from Charlie or Mark's opinion, the person is quickly cut off, then ridiculed on the air. Wait, that sounds like bullying, right?

Rschneed March 22, 2013 at 11:35 pm

Mark Belling and Charlie Sykes are entertainers, nothing more, nothing less. To actually take stock in what either of these people say is ridiculous. If anyone dares to call in and dissent from Charlie or Mark's opinion, the person is quickly cut off, then ridiculed on the air. Wait, that sounds like bullying, right?

GSDteach March 23, 2013 at 10:36 am

Many of the GSD teachers are not members of the union. State law was changed making it an option rather than a requirement. Some of us would like to be paid on what we are able to accomplish with our students. We would like to have better administration.
I will be voting for new school board members. We know things are not right in the school district and are worried about the future. Parents are too.

FL Born March 23, 2013 at 11:57 am

http://greendale.patch.com/articles/teacher-returns-to-her-greendale-roots-to-run-against-rep-jeff-stone.
Please do not show support for Weid-Vincent....she has clearly stated her bias and fully supports Unions and Not the Students or hard working tax-payers. And why run for Sate assembly and now switch gears and run for a seat on the School Board?

Jason Patzfahl March 23, 2013 at 04:10 pm

Two years ago 16 (SIXTEEN) teachers retired from GSD - four times the norm, due to Scott Walker's budget which cut nearly $2 BILLION from public education and almost no one in this district (except me) made a stink. But now when 1 technology person and 1 outreach coordinator resign, and 1 principal takes a job that fits her skill set better, the whole world is crashing around our schools???? I don't get it! Even with classrooms more crowded, more diversified, and more of our children here living in poverty than ever before, TEST SCORES ARE IMPROVING!!!
Our teachers are doing more with less and we are only supposed to punish them more? Should we replace their dental coverage with Wrigley's gum to save $4 on our property taxes? After a two year pay freeze, and after the school board voted to eliminate ALL retirement contributions for employees, a measly 3% pay raise for an outstanding teaching staff in an over-achieving district is the least the board can do. I don't know if the board or the superintendent are "pro-union" or not, but they sure as heck are pro-student and pro-educational professional, and if we want to continue to retain and attract top teaching talent, this is a step in the right direction... ...You people cry when someone who is not even a teacher resigns and complain that the leadership is pushing good people out (B.S.) but then you also whine when they make a move to retain quality personnel. You can't have it both ways. Hyopcrites!

greendale-hush-hush March 23, 2013 at 04:35 pm

Jason: Thanks for speaking up! I think you can sleep easy knowing our new superintendent and board are both big-time pro union. Scott Walker is ruining our schools. I say if you don't want to support our schools here with some extra taxes, then move. Thanks again Jason!

Roger March 23, 2013 at 04:50 pm

The superintendent and board should be about Greendale not the union!

Tony W March 23, 2013 at 07:15 pm

This is not about Scott Walker. This is about Greendalers deciding what and who they want directing their schools I do not want a pro union superintendent and school board. I want good people who are for kids and education and their future.

Ron Burgundy March 23, 2013 at 07:40 pm

I really don't understand you at all. Why do you deserve more than anyone else? Is the kids who gets and A in your class, and the same kid who gets a C in a different class supposed to tell us whether you're the better teacher? Maybe the kid is better in English than math? It's complicated when you get into the details. Is the AP teacher get paid more than the teacher who works with the less gifted students and gets them through the class? And what does "we would like to have better administration" mean? That's so vague. So what do the "new" school board members have, other than not being on the board already, that makes them the ones to correct what's "not right in the school district." Greendale is already rated as exceeding expectations in the last state evaluation. Multitudes of parents are trying to open enroll their kids in Greendale. That to me as a voter is not a sign that things are not right in the school district. Please provide facts instead of vague claims.

Ron Burgundy March 23, 2013 at 07:43 pm

And who says the superintendent is not about Greendale and about the union. How is a 3% pay raise indicative in any way the the superintendent is or is not "pro-union"?

Tony W March 23, 2013 at 07:55 pm

Hush Hush is saying we have a pro union superintendent big time. Greendale Teach says not every teacher is pro union. I don't begrudge the pay raise. I do want kids put first not teachers. We need to speak for the kids first not the teachers. I don't know if Tharp is pro union or not. I guess I agree with Jason on this one. Maybe I will be voting for the school board members campaigning now.
Ron Burgundy, you seem to be one mad tv man. Almost bullying in your responses. I am a long time reader second time poster. You are a regular confronter

Tony W March 23, 2013 at 07:57 pm

If the school board and Dr. Tharp is union first like readers are writing, that can't be good can it?

Christina March 24, 2013 at 12:23 pm

The quality of every Greendale teacher is not the same.
Parents are impatient with some GSD teachers who aren't performing and complaints go ignored. Highly effective teachers should be paid more than those whose students make insufficient progress. I hope the school board take notice. A year is far too long to doom kids to an ineffective teacher. Studies show those teachers hold back student performance. That should push GSD officials— all school officials — to take a tougher stand on pushing mediocre teachers to leave the system. Termination is a shamefully rare event in Greendale. Is every teacher of the same quality and was ANY of the over 200 teachers fired this year? What does this mean for a PRO UNION Board and Administration?

Techtuesday March 27, 2013 at 12:23 am

It is worth noting that Greendale schools are highly rated and that draws in young professionals, such as my family. I chose Greendale for the schools. I could have chosen any city in the area. Effective teachers get results, ineffective ones do not. While everyone is struggling, a 3 percent raise helps keep those effetive educators in Greendale. It is sad that people want this to be a partisan issue, instead of an issue of quality and results. If Greendale was dropping in scores or losing ground to thier peers, then a raise would be out of the question. However, quality is quality. You get what you pay for. I don't mind paying for quality. It's the same reason I go to the Steakout for steaks and not the Outback. I know that while it might cost more, it is well worth the money. Greendale has a special group of teachers that help our wonderful community thrive, I think this malcontent for a raise is short sighted and foolish. It saddens me to think that I made a poor choice in relocating to Greendale. I can say with certainty that if the schools don't measure up, I'd move in an instant.

Ron Burgundy March 29, 2013 at 06:17 am

I confront vague and absurd comments. Act 10 caused a loss of 10% of teacher salary for most educators. A 3% pay raise is small, but it's the max allowed by the Act 10. I hear a lot about "putting the kids first". You keep the level of professionalism and talent by paying them and that is putting the kids first. Without the professional staff the school district wouldn't continue to be high achieving. All this "pro-union" stuff is garbage. The school board did what was right and raised the salaries of the staff. And still the tax levy is down almost 8%. That's great fiscal management given the handcuffs the state has put on school districts through Act 10. State aid is down considerably, but yet the school board has managed to fund a raise for the staff and not have the school portion of the property tax go up. Over 500 kids applied for open enrollment. That's not a sign of a school district in decline or a school board not knowing what they are doing. I laugh at the speak first and know the facts later crowd. Do some research on Act 10 and the school board and you'll see that the current board has done great work under very difficult financial circumstances. Not one single challenger has outlined what, in fact, is wrong with the current board in terms of budgeting, student achievement, etc. and why they should be the ones to replace the existing members. in fact, att the forum, they all said the current board was doing a great job as described in the Patch.