And here we go........................

[Holly Paterniti]

Hello my fellow doodlers and educators :)

 

Well I am sure you all have heard that SB5 has passed and signed in the state of Ohio.  This is such a sad time right now, but we are standing up for our rights to collective bargaining.  I went a few weeks ago to be trained on getting signatures and am ready to go. 

 

We are now waiting for our person from the Ohio Education Association to send us our petitions so we may start.  I really feel good about this and think SB5 will be on the ballot for Novembers elections.  I also think that it will be defeated by the voters.

 

I am hoping that other educators like yourselves will never have to go through what we in Ohio and Wisconsin are dealing with. I know in Ohio some of the democrats are trying to pass a bill stating that is any Ohioan voter who feels that the one they had elected is not representing them properly could be recalled and possibly be taken out of office.  I do not know if this will ever go through all the Republicans in the House and Senate in Ohio, since they would be afraid they would lose their jobs, but it really is a great idea.  As Senator Hagan said in an article, if politicans are representing the voters the way they are supposed to they have no worries of losing their job or being called out to the table.  And I AGREE!!

 

I really think the Governor in Ohio has deceived a lot of the voters who had voted for him and is not doing what he was asked to do at all.

 

Ok, I will stop there and get off my soapbox :)  Thanks for listening everyone!!!

[Holly Paterniti]

I totally agree with you :)  Politicians think about the money and not how it affects the kids.  I with you on wanting to change careers.....what we are doing is NOT teaching at all. I remember the days were teaching was creative and we could vere off to teach another way....and we could combine subject areas together with units.  I really do not think I will be able to lasst another 15 years til retirement. The kids have changed too......they have become disrespectful and really are more out for themselves (not all of them) than to geniuely helping each other.  We even have teachers like that too...........what ever happened to loyalty between teachers?  This younger generation really seems as if they will whatever it takes to get what they want.  I have notcied that the younger teachers when they start working demand things and will turn on the veteran teachers quickly if that means they move up on the principal's favorite list.  I remember when I started teaching.....in essence when a veteran teacher told you to jump, you asked how high?  Not anymore................it is a sad day in education :(

 

And you are right about the bargaining and money stuff........if teachers voice anything it is automatically interpretated as we, teachers, want more money and less hours.......people think you all get 3 months off a year and we should go to school all year around.  But what they fail to realize even if we go to all year round schooling.......we would be in school 3 months and off for 1 month............it is exactly the same amount of days off as we get now, but just spread out more.  I get tired of hearing how we do nothing and we make all this money.  Seriously?

[Holly Paterniti]

My husband and I were talking about SB5 the other night.  I was telling him how our lovely governor was trying to bust the unions and how they are putting false advertisements up.  These ads say that teachers do not pay as much as the business workers for medical and other things.  I made a case in point, I have a BA and MA in special education and have major student loans to pay off...........................my husband on the other hand, did not complete his degree in college and he works at a bank and soon will be leaving that position for another position.......we are currently and have always used my medical insurance, which I think I pay $100 a month, which they take out 1/2 at the beginning of the month and the other 1/2 on the last paycheck.  Granted if we had taken my husband's insurance we would have paid more monthly, out of pocket and a higher deductible.  With all that said, it does sound like we, teachers, have it better....................but think of this my husband (no college degree, just high school with 2 years of college under his belt, but the 2 years of college was no where in math or accounting....he was majoring in arts) makes well over $20,000 more than I make (the one who finished college and then went back for a Master's).  Please know that I am not saying I am smarter than him by no means........and I told him that, but rather the private sector may have to pay more things we pay less for, but we are also not making as much money as they are :)

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Michigan teachers are being targeted too. Lots of anti-teacher bills up for vote in the house and senate. The Governor is also wants to cut per pupil student funding by about $500 per child, and divert public school funds to community colleges and universities. School districts in my area are scrambling to figure out what they will have to cut. Some of them are cutting busing, art/music/gym, etc. One district pink slipped 300 of their teachers (40%). Our health insurance and pensions are also under attack. He is proposing that all state employees pay at least 20% of their health insurance costs per year. The districts who don't follow this, will lose even more funding. I agree with Holly- although we may have a few more benefits than some in the private sector, teachers in general have higher degrees for less pay.  At least in our district, where we have seen little if any pay increases over the last few years, we were always told by our union not to fight for higher pay because our insurance benefits were so good. Well now, we haven't had wage increases (just pay freezes) over the last few years, we have consistently agreed to higher deductibles, and now we stand to pay a lot more for our insurance in addition to losing teachers, probably higher class sizes, less funding for kids who need help, etc. I love my job, but I constantly feel like people who don't have any clue get to make all of the decisions, and there is little to no public respect for what we do.

[Kyoko]

Our school district voted to get rid of out own school buses and contract out to the school bus company. They said that by doing this, they would save millions of dollars. They will gain $ from selling our busses, and not have to pay for the benefit for the drivers. ( They only worked part time, but had full benefits) I just hate to see ANYONE loses their job....

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Outsourcing is another thing we are facing in Michigan. We currently don't have any services outsourced in my district, but others do, and outsourcing is part of one the bills that the Governor is trying to pass. I think it is best to have people in those positions that are vested in the community, and where the districts have more control/knowledge of just who their employees are- especially when working around kids.

[Kyoko]

Yes. Also vast majority of the b us drivers are comminuty members, parents of our students..... If the parent loses job anf health benefit and have negative veiw of the district, how does those kids feels about their schools...?

[Holly Paterniti]

Our district is looking into outsourcing too.........I am saddened by this.......things will not change for a while now.  These politicians have forgotten who helped them get to where they are.......they all went to school and then eventually college.........if it was not for us......these politicians would not be where they are........but they do not get that......

[Lynda Kamrath]

Good point! If bussing services are contracted out, what kind of control do you have over the employees of the bus company? Where I live, all students are bussed and the busses make three trips (elementary, middle, and high school) two times a day. Kindergarten went to whole day to eliminate the mid-day bussing. Even with the employees working part time at other jobs during the day, it is so confusing. It will not get any easier and contract bussing has been suggested.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Outsourcing is always iffy.  You lose control for one thing, but I am not really sure outsourcing is cheaper - if so, why did we originally get our own employees in the outsourced areas?  Weren't we told it would be cheaper to have the service in-house?

[Kyoko]

Hahaha! Good point!! Now, bunch of the bus drivers are taking their sick days before the year is over, and we are running around like a chicken with neck cut off to get adequate amount of bussing to get the kids to school!!!

[Kyoko]

We are also furloughing 60 + teachers!! So, now, they are all taking the remaining sick days, and buildings are short staffed!! Principals, guidance counselors, etc... are covering the classes meaning that kids are not learning anything!! ( If I had to cover French 3 or Trig class or anything like that, I certainly can't teach nor answer any questions!!)

[Holly Paterniti]

I am so glad to see you all respond to this..........it is sad how we are targeted and how we are stereotyped.  I am so sick of all this and really do not know how much longer I will be able to take all this stuff.