Speculation

My union has two years left on our five-year contract. Two years ago saw 25% the instructional aide staff reduced. Last year saw the instructional aide staff reduced another 33%, 5% of the teaching staff reduced, and administration raises limited to 1%. This year, the administration is not getting raises and assistant coaches are being eliminated, which I agree with if that's possible, but I wonder why those positions weren't eliminated before instructional aides and teachers. There's still $400,000 that needs to be taken from our $9 million balance, taxes raised, or instructional programs eliminated. Again, aside from using the money already taken from the taxpayers or taking more from them, why are elective programs like art and music on the chopping block before 9th grade boys basketball, for example, who can try-out for varsity and junior varsity teams, etcetera?

Two years from now, another 5-year contract will need to have been negotiated for teachers. Otherwise, teachers get a pay freeze because law requires us to keep teaching based on the most recent contract. I appreciate that there isn't more money to give teachers since the state cut our district's funding by $3 million like every other district in the state. Therefore, I hope we can get a contract that gives us other perks instead of monetary raises like eliminating some of the 8 clerical/in-service days or just granting additional personal days. To get our 2% raises last contract, we had to work 3% more and contribute 1% more to our health care.

Since inflation averages 3% annually, 3% raises are what is typically considered fair. So reducing the workload 3% should count as the 3% "raise" year 3. Years 1 and 2 should see a 1% raise and then a pay freeze like the administration has seen, which leaves years 4 and 5. Those years should see a combination of raises or granting additional personal days with personal days equivalent to .5% to equal 3% each year. For example, grant two more personal days in the contract from the current 3 days to 5 days to equal 1%. Then give a 2% raise year 4 and a 3% raise year 5.

I suppose this was just a thinking-out-loud exercise to benefit myself, like most of my posts feel like, but hopefully the readers I care about learn something about me in the process.