This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Is the Rocky Point BOE Letter Offensive?

Or aren't educators just being asked to be part of the solution?

I attended the March 18 Board meeting. I saw the en masse teachers in their union tee shirts stand up in support of their president when he protested the letter that all district employees received. After having read the letter I too don’t get why they’re so offended. The only thing I can come up with is that they’re in the midst of contract negotiations. I mean, this letter just describes the economic situation on Long Island and, like everyone else in the district, they’re being asked to share the pain.

There hasn’t been a new contract signed since 2011. However, this does not mean they have been working “without” a contract.  Because of the Triborough Amendment, all provisions of an “expired” contract stay in place until a new contract is signed.

Let’s look at what they may be asked to change:

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Since 1999, teachers have only contributed 15% to their health care premiums—the taxpayer pays the rest.

As stated in the letter, teachers have been getting on average 3% yearly salary increases—that in addition to the Step increases they automatically get just for showing up to work for another year. This means that, for example, from 2008 to 2013 they have received a total 18% increase. The only ones in the private sector who may have also gotten such increases are Wall Street bankers and oil executives!

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The increase in the pension benefits in the 2013-2014 budget will be a whopping 33.92%.  Some may correctly say the state governs pensions, but that doesn’t really matter—the local taxpayer still has to foot the bill for this.

Teachers can roll over a total of 190 unused sick days during their career, and they’ll be paid for these sick days at the salary amount when they retire.

Teacher and administrative salaries, many of which are in the six-figure range, don’t compare with the private sector. But these are the salaries that have been agreed to by the voters, even when we did not realize it.

At this point no one is asking the teachers to give back─just that they stop asking for more. In order to provide our children with a good, affordable, and sustainable education all sides of the equation—taxpayers and teachers—have to work together.

To the taxpayer, I say we have to be informed. We have to ask about the details of a budget. We are the ones who have agreed to the current situation. Come to the board meetings and make your voices heard—and don’t forget to vote.

Read the letter at rockypointschools.org.

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