Posted By: Sarah On: 2/22/2012

Title: Facts Confused

Dear "Tired",
You seem to have your facts confused. Last year, the Mayfield Teachers' Association offered nearly $650,000 in concessions--which included a pay freeze. This was offered despite the fact that there was no guarantee of saving any positions. The Mayfield School Board and Mr. Williamsen refused this LARGE concession. Also, you are confused about any increase in benefits. Nice rant, but you are poorly misinformed. And you used the wrong spelling of their in your title.
Have a nice day!

Posted By: Tired On: 4/8/2011

Title: Mayfield eats there own

It seems as though the Mayfield teachers are more than willing to prove they are not about teaching the students as much as they are concerned about their increase in pay and benefits. They appear to be ok with the idea that some people ( 'friends' and colleagues) will lose their jobs and livelihoods so those who remain will get more pay and increased benefits. Meanwhile, due to the layoffs, the children suffer because the programs that were once offered are no longer meaningful in the eyes of those who took up the occupation of being a teacher. This makes one wonder what they are ultimately 'teaching' the children. Why should anyone pay school taxes if the school is cutting back on preparing students to be as productive as they can be in the future that awaits them. I only see the students being taught the right to entitlement. It seems to boil down to "I don't care about you as long as I got mine". Sad! So, sad!

Posted By: On: 3/23/2011

Title: Teachers should take an example from another school district and try and save their collegues.

PRSD Teachers and Administrators Re-Negotiate Contracts to Save Programs
[Pearl River] Teachers and administrators at the Pearl River School District have agreed to reductions in previously negotiated salary increases for 2011-12 and beyond in order to restore anticipated reductions in programs. The Pearl River Board of Education has endorsed both agreements and has placed approval of the revised contractual agreements on their agenda for their next meeting on Tuesday, March 29 th , 2011.
“This action speaks volumes about our faculty’s and administrators’dedication to both students and taxpayers,” says Dr. Frank Auriemma, superintendent. “Throughout our budget development process, we’ve discussed our frustration and disappointment in having to eliminate programs we have worked so hard to build. By reducing our salary commitments, almost all of the teacher reductions that we considered eliminating will be protected for next year,” he explains.
Based on Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget that includes reductions in school aid, together with anticipated increases in pension and benefits costs and a commitment to contain the tax levy increase to under 3%, the district was working with a projected $1.5 million gap between projected revenues and expenses for 2011-12. This gap reduced to $950,000 through retirements, some of which will be realized through an incentive, and moving some programs to grant funding and BOCES. “Because we’ve been reducing our non-instructional expenditures consistently over the years, the only place left to go was the instructional program,” says Quinton Van Wynen, director of operations.
Among the instructional programs slated for reduction or elimination were band and orchestra instruction in the elementary schools, library instruction in the elementary schools, enrichment instruction at the elementary and middle schools, some learning center and PEP courses at the middle school, advanced art and technology instruction for eighth graders, and class consolidations in high school math, science, social studies, Spanish, art, technology and physical education along with the elimination of two college-level courses. Seventeen teachers received letters last week notifying them that their jobs would be eliminated at the end of this school year.
“We expect to restore almost all of these planned teacher reductions with the savings we will realize through the contractual salary givebacks,” says Dr. John Morgano, assistant superintendent who also leads negotiations with all of the district’s labor groups. “This simply would not be possible without the outstanding leadership and responsiveness of Pearl River Teachers Association and the Pearl River Administrators Association,” he says. Dr. Morgano and Mr. Van Wynen worked closely with the groups’ leaders over the weeks and months leading up to the memberships’ approvals. “In my eight years of contract negotiations in Pearl River, I know how difficult, if not impossible, it can be to gain consensus on such a sensitive issue,” Dr. Morgano notes.
Kevin O’Connor, social studies teacher at Pearl River Middle School and president of the PRTA, expressed his appreciation of his colleagues’ support. “These are challenging times for all of us. Many of our members have young families. Many are currently paying for their own graduate degrees as our profession requires. Some have spouses who are out of work and other financial hardships. However, they made the welfare of our students, the protection of their colleagues, and the needs of our taxpayers their priority. I am extremely proud of them.”
William Furdon, Pearl River High School principal and president of the Pearl River Administrators Association, echoes Mr. O’Connor’s sentiments. “We are very fortunate to have a group of educational leaders whose priorities are in the right place,” he states. “These givebacks are just another example of their commitment to doing the right thing,” he continues.
The contractual givebacks cover the salaries of 217 teachers and 11 administrators and total between $900,000 and $1.5 million in savings for the district over the next four years. The teachers’ revised agreement reduces their salary increase in 2011-12 from 2.6% to 0.6% and from between 2.0 and 2.9% (based on the Consumer Price Index) to 1.6% in 2012-13. It also extends the existing contract for another two years with salary increases of 1.6% in 2013-14 and 1.8% in 2014-15. The administrators’ revised agreement eliminated their 2.75% salary increase in 2011-12 to 0% and extends their existing contract one more year with a salary increase of 1.8%
According to Dr. Auriemma, as is always the case, programs with low student enrollments will most likely still be eliminated in 2011-12. He also notes that the 2012-13 fiscal year and beyond still carry significant challenges. Based on what happens in Albany with a proposed 2% tax levy cap and continued reductions in state aid, he and his colleagues are already projecting shortfalls in the millions of dollars. “Unfortunately, we cannot promise that we will not have to revisit program eliminations and staff reductions for 2012-13 and beyond,” he says. “However, once again I can say how fortunate we are to be in Pearl River. I extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Morgano and Mr. Van Wynen for their outstanding leadership in helping to facilitate these agreements. Our teachers and administrators have again proven their dedication and commitment and we could not be more grateful,” he adds.