Governor Kasich got bored one day and decided to cut local budgets just for fun, and that’s why school districts around Ohio can’t make ends meet!
So say the Ohio Education Association (OEA) and Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE – also known as AFSCME Local 11). Coincidentally, OEA and OAPSE bargain for unsustainable pay, benefits, and automatic increases with local politicians they helped elect… then turn around and spend millions in member dues demanding more from the rest of us.
Now mean King Kasich – who sneaked Senate Bill 5 through with no opportunity for Democrat amendments – is seeking input on merit pay, allegedly to ensure it’s a well-designed cost saving tool for local governments. The unions are not enthused:
“I don’t think you have to look too deep underneath the surface to say when is somebody genuinely interested in talking to us when is somebody kind of paying lip service, said Scott DiMauro, president of the Central OEA.
“Unfortunately, what the governor has talked about doing and what other people talk about with merit pay, you’ve got to question is it really about improving student achievement or is it about trying to save money,” he asked.
Kasich requests suggestions for an obvious need that will be a challenge to implement, and the OEA simply pouts that cost savings and quality are mutually exclusive.
Anyone who’s ever had more than one teacher knows some teachers are better than others. If the OEA and OAPSE cared about effective, affordable public education, they would jump at the chance to incorporate merit into salary formulas. Even a cynic would expect the unions to realize schools can’t be effective for long if they aren’t affordable… and can’t be either if bad teachers are paid big bucks.
But the unions can’t admit bad teachers exist, because the union business model says all members are beautiful, unique snowflakes who deserve raises just for hanging around. Pay your dues, and you’re subject to the same condescending treatment and byzantine rules as everyone else. Last in, first out screws young teachers but works great for the unions. Step increases suck for taxpayers but work great for the unions. Who do you think the unions are looking out for?
Though it would be unprecedented, there’s a possibility I’m wrong! Maybe a forever-increasing flow of taxpayer dollars is what school districts and local governments need to excel. After all, that’s worked wonders at the Department of Education…
Follow me on Twitter: @jasonahart
Cross-posted from that hero.
June 14th, 2011 at 11:13 am
OEA? teachers? 80,000? Ive been teachn 30 years for CEA n member of OEA..I dont make 80000…lmao….u wont stop at anything to lie…frink ur tea..spread ur lies…lmfao..ohh..thx I needed a laff…u need to put the Senators, Ksicks cabinet, n his pay scale in there…in comparison…to Stricklands…publish that k?
June 15th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Wow Paula, that’s some astoundingly bad grammar for a teacher.
Please point out to the rest of us where I’ve lied. The clearly-labeled green line in my chart is OEA employees, as in employees of the union you’re happy to defend with a comment that looks like it was written by an intoxicated feline.
June 16th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Jason, did any of your teachers ever teach you about inflation? Everything costs a lot more than it did in 1971. So considering you failed to take that in effect, what exactly is that graph supposed to make us conclude? I also don’t find it surprising that a career that requires a college degree and usually a master’s degree has a little higher average salary than the private sector, which includes a wide spectrum of career, including 16 year olds working at McDonald’s. I made $4.50 per hour at my first job when I was 16. Would you argue I should have been making as much as my teachers? You get an “F” for analyzing data objectively.
June 19th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
She may not type with proper grammer, but that does not nullify her point. SB 5 is a direct attack on ALL public employees and the heart of the middle class. I’m not seeing any push for the elected officials who did, in fact, ramrod this horrendous piece of legislation through to partake in the shared sacrifce that the rest of us have through collective bargaining. All you prove here is what we’ve known all along: SB 5 IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE BACKS OF UNIONS IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT!!!
June 19th, 2011 at 10:31 pm
There are good & bad Teachers. There are good & bad Bankers. There are good & bad Clergy & Polititions. You can find the good and bad in everything you look at. I’m not a Teacher. I am a State Employee though. I almost always got Aboves on my Evals. This past time, I got all “MEETS”. Had my performance dropped? No. My Supervisor told me that he NEVER gives aboves to anyone. This is where I have a problem with the Merit Pay System. Whether it be this situation or the “Good ol’ Boy” plan where those “In The Click” get the higher ratings. I just don’t think it can be ran fairly across the board. I am well into my career at this point and try to see things more rationally, than coming off all hot-headed. BUT, in regards to Paula’s message. It was obviously written in an online/texting type manner. I seriously doubt she is the intoxicated Teacher you make her out to be. You write about Communicating between each other to find common ground. Ways that would work that could save Ohio money. But then you come out agressively calling this lady names and being rude. You don’t make people feel very comfortable stepping into such an arena. I’m curious to see all of the fun little things you’re going to call me now. Communication is a 2-way street Jason. Maybe everyone should realize this.
June 20th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
@ Tristan: So are you arguing that the Department of Education is worth the money we’re spending on it? Or just complaining that I shared a graph without listing a disclaimer about inflation?
I also continue to find it incredibly telling how union apologists bring up the Master’s degree thing in defense of teacher pay — while completely ignoring the huge salaries of union employees.
By all means, though, criticize my objectivity.
June 20th, 2011 at 9:43 pm
@ Franklin: Kudos to grammar that far exceeds Paula’s. No credit, alas, for repeating the “public employees are the middle class” fallacy.
Where were you when the Ohio GOP tried to cut the legislature’s pay… only to be blocked by union-loving Democrats?
June 20th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
@ Michael: I agree completely with your first half dozen sentences. But, I’d argue (have argued, in fact) that defending a system which we know doesn’t reward to most deserving workers – based only on seniority – is a mistake. Sure, merit pay will be difficult to implement well, but that doesn’t mean we should stick with something GUARANTEED to overpay some undeserving older employees at the expense of younger workers.
As is obvious to anyone who can read the comments above, your feigned concern for Paula doesn’t pass the laugh test. A commenter who claims to be a teacher and then calls someone a liar should expect to be mocked for awful typing, shorthand or otherwise.
…Still waiting for someone to explain why it’s ok for OEA employees to pay themselves an average of $96,000 from teachers’ dues. Michael? Franklin? Tristan? Paula?
June 24th, 2011 at 12:45 am
Jason, I CAN understand your reasoning in regards to those who don’t deserve a raise due to being unworthy because of their work performance. I think most all of us, including you, see associates that we work with, who we feel really don’t deserve to be in the position they’re in. Or, how they ever got hired to start with. I still don’t agree with a straight “Merit Pay” though. As I said, when I go for years with all Aboves, now suddenly have just all Meets? Even you have to see the problem here. Everyone who gets their evaluation from Supervisor “A” gets all MEETS and no raise. The other Employees of said group, get their evals from Supervisor “B”. Now this Supervisor distributes the scores as they actually should be to their Employees. So we end up with Group “A” getting no raises, regardless of and Merit that they are due but weren’t given because of the Supervisor’s Eval beliefs. Group “B” Employees, at least those deserving, get their raises.
I know I’m beating a dead horse in the head here but in this scenario, which is a real life happening, shows more than enough proof of the potential for total unfairness of this system. And the Supervisor is a great person. But, it’s just how they feel with these Evals.
As far as your belief on my “Fake” concern over your remarks about Paula’s wording issue. I don’t say what I don’t mean. I don’t see the need to needlessly try to demean someone just to try to make yourself look, or feel, bigger. I would like to meet you in person someday, just to see if you come across like as much of a horse’s ass in person as you do on here. As I said before. You do NOT make this a warm & fuzzy environment for people to want to try and discuss issues. Why not? Because they know in advance that you are going to try to degrade them in any way that you can or see fit. And if you feel that this isn’t how you are. I’m telling you it’s how you come across.
Remember the Communication thing I brought up before too? I did say that it worked both ways. It’s like everything has to be “Left Wing” against “Right Wing”. Why can’t people just talk and try to reason without all of the BS? Maybe you should try that sometime. Trust me Jason. I’ve used Communication skills with my employment for almost 30 years now. It works quite well when you honestly try to use it and read people and not just sputter words at them.
I am seriously doubting that any of this will mean anything to you but at least many of those who will read this, will see reason, common sense & truth in what all I’ve said. You have to give a little on each side to really make it work. So, what is it Jason? Do you want to make it work or not?
June 24th, 2011 at 1:00 am
I’m sorry but I forgot your last statement Jason. That is an awful lot of money to make in a year. That’s over twice what I make. Are they hiring? Maybe you could correct me on this if I’m wrong. Or at least correct my numbers. After Kasich got into Office, I believe he created a position of something like “Special Assistant” to the Governor, to one of his friends. I believe the starting pay for that job was around $145,000.00? I think that was the Salary that I recall from the Newpapers. So why is he getting paid so much for a position that didn’t even exist prior to Kasich taking Office?
I also think that if there is Legislation being brought forth, such as SB 5, there should also be equal Legislation attached to take into consideration every single State Politition’s pay rate. I mean, let’s at least be fair about it. And I don’t wanna hear about how the Democrats voted it down. If Ohio is in such dire straights, then join them. It should affect both equally. If you’re hitting 1 end of State Employees, then it is only right and fair that ALL should do their part in giving up pay. I know I have only received 1 raise in the last 5 yrs. or so. How many have the polititions gotten? Let’s keep this fair and just. Quit trying to make it all look like it’s just us. They all make a heck of a lot more than me. Ok, blast away now. I’m sure I typed for nothing.
June 24th, 2011 at 7:53 am
Michael – Legitimate concerns about merit pay, but I’ll say again: that doesn’t mean we should never try. The public unions are fighting any kind of merit system because it breaks their business model. That’s the point I’ve been making; the unions are looking out for the unions, however loudly they cry about Ohio’s “middle class.”
As for my tone, I agree that readers can make an informed decision based on what’s here. I made fun of a commenter who posted something incoherent, and you apparently got your feathers ruffled on her behalf. Can’t say I’m real concerned about that, but I appreciate your feedback!
..oh, and as for Kasich’s staff pay. If you don’t like it, don’t vote for him. The unions work against – not for – the taxpayers, paying themselves big bucks in dues. What recourse do the taxpayers have for that? Senate Bill 5 is it.