Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Union Contract Delivers Five-Year Salary Freeze for State's Teacher of the Year
Michigan Capitol Confidential ^ | 7/13/2016 | Tom Gantert

Posted on 07/18/2016 8:49:32 AM PDT by MichCapCon

In May, the state Department of Education named Tracy Horodyski as Michigan’s 2016-17 Teacher of the Year.

But Horodyski, who has 16 years of classroom experience teaching at Kenowa Hills Public Schools in Kent County, won’t see any salary raise coming from the school district, due to a provision in her union contract.

Like all Michigan teachers union contracts, the one at Kenowa Hills bases an individual's salary on just two criteria – the number of educational credentials acquired and years of service. The Kenowa Hills Public Schools teachers contract has 28 seniority-based pay tiers or "steps." There is generally one step per year, and under the Kenowa Hills contract, teachers in steps 16 to 21 don’t receive a salary increase. One of those teachers is Tracy Horodyski. The contract does call for small off-schedule payments if certain funding and enrollment goals are met.

Horodyski had a base salary of $70,412 in 2014-15 and earned another $2,734 for extra duties performed, including coaching a school athletic team.

Almost all teachers at Michigan’s traditional public school districts are covered by a union contract. The terms of those contracts still applies to employees who choose to exercise their right under the state's right-to-work law to not support the union financially.

But there is a movement called "Worker's Choice" that would give those school employees who leave the union the opportunity to negotiate their own contracts and benefits with the school district.

"Unions call teachers professionals – but they are paid more like assembly line workers – with a lockstep pay scale," said Larry Sand, a former New York teacher who started up the California Teachers Empowerment Network to inform teachers on educational issues. "Professionals get what they deserve to be paid – good doctors make more money than mediocre ones and good lawyers command greater fees than average ones. As professionals, why shouldn't teachers be treated like doctors and lawyers?"

"Instead of representing all workers, unions should be members-only organizations," Sand said. "Those who don't want to be part of the union should not be forced to be represented by them."

Unions have been highly critical of people who leave via right-to-work. These individuals are still bound by all the union contract’s provisions.

Michigan Education Association President Steve Cook has called right-to-work “freedom to freeload.” In one MEA press release, Cook used the term “freeload,” “freeloading,” or “freeloader” eight times.


TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: education; michigan; teacher; unions

1 posted on 07/18/2016 8:49:32 AM PDT by MichCapCon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MichCapCon

Isn’t it special how teachers take turns giving each other “teacher of the year” awards?


2 posted on 07/18/2016 8:50:57 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("It's okay to commit felonies as long as breaking the law isn't your primary objective." James Comey)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MichCapCon

“Professionals get what they deserve to be paid – good doctors make more money than mediocre ones and good lawyers command greater fees than average ones. As professionals, why shouldn’t teachers be treated like doctors and lawyers”

Because many of the teachers are incredibly mediocre and ineffective in their job. Without the union support they would be fired.


3 posted on 07/18/2016 9:06:37 AM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MichCapCon

DISBAND ALL PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS

It is the equivalent of The government negotiating with itself, to give itself raises.


4 posted on 07/18/2016 9:24:48 AM PDT by Mr. K (Trump will win NY state - choke on that HilLIARy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MichCapCon

That is unions for ya. No matter how good you are at something only seniority counts. If you know someone and kick back some of the raise then you can move ahead. Better is a no show union job.


5 posted on 07/18/2016 10:31:55 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MichCapCon

However administrators will get big raises as will tenured incompetent teachers. Teachers unions assure poor quality education.


6 posted on 07/18/2016 12:27:18 PM PDT by The Great RJ ("Socialists are happy until they run out of other people's money." Margaret Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson