No-pay idea upsets school chiefs [FL GOP lawmaker/teacher seeks to eliminate pay for SCHOOL BOARDS]

The Orlando Sentinel ^ | March 7, 2002 | Karla Schuster

[summer]

No-pay idea upsets school chiefs [FL GOP lawmaker/teacher seeks to eliminate pay for SCHOOL BOARDS]

By Karla Schuster | Tallahassee Bureau
Posted March 7, 2002

TALLAHASSEE -- A massive overhaul of Florida's school code is headed to the House floor with a controversial provision that would eliminate salaries for school board members, drawing sharp rebukes from local education officials.

By a 12-7 vote, a House committee on Wednesday approved an amendment proposed by Rep. Ralph Arza, R-Hialeah, making local school board seats essentially volunteer jobs, noting that school board members earn more than first-year teachers in most Florida school districts.

In Miami-Dade County, school board members earn about $38,000 annually, compared with about $33,000 a year for first-year teachers, Arza said.

Broward and Palm Beach County School Board members earn $35,782 a year. First-year teachers without a master's degree earn $30,300 a year in Broward and $31,725 in Palm Beach County.

"What kind of message are we sending when we pay people in the classroom less than those on the school board?" Arza, a government teacher at Miami Senior High School, told the House Council of Lifelong Learning.

Arza's measure generated some of the most heated debate of the more than 80 proposed amendments to the school code revision bill (PCB 02-01), which is a high priority for Gov. Jeb Bush because it codifies key elements of the education reorganization he pushed through the Legislature last year.

Arza and other council members pointed out that members of the Florida Board of Education and the trustee boards at each state university, bodies created as part of Bush's education reorganization, are not paid.

But unlike the state board and the university trustees, local school board members are elected, not appointed, and they meet more often, opponents of the amendment argued.

"We believe school board members are dedicated, hard-working public servants," said Joy Frank, general counsel for the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. "The salary sometimes makes or breaks the decision whether someone runs for office or not."

Karla Schuster is a reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, a Tribune publishing company.

Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel

[summer]

This is one of the best ideas I have ever heard from a GOP lawmaker. And, he happens to also be a public high school teacher in Miami. Kudos to Rep. Ralph Arza, R-Hialeah -- and government teacher at Miami Senior High School!!!

Also, from article:

"We believe school board members are dedicated, hard-working public servants," said Joy Frank, general counsel for the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. "The salary sometimes makes or breaks the decision whether someone runs for office or not."

Joy, People do not run for office solely because of a salary -- they run for power. And, school board members were ALWAYS volunteers when I grew up in the not so distant past. What ever made school board members -- who meet infrequently -- think they should be paid a full year's salary for sitting in on some meetings, voting on some issues and making a few decisions?

BTW, do we pay volunteer fire departments? No, but they do a much more important job than school board members. Do we pay school volunteers, who also do a much more important job, and work longer hours, than any school board member? No.

[summer]

I'd vote for this guy, too.

[summer]

FYI. :)

[summer]

This guy has a good idea, IMO.

[illbenice]

I have a better idea, no executive salaries. NO political office should be a paid office. Congress gives itself a raise every damn year, eliminating their salary may bring more honest people into office. Benjamin Franklin would agree.

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

Thanks for your post. Interesting idea...

[reagent]

Sounds like a nice idea, but don't you think officers who are NOT paid a salary will be more easily swayed by other sources of income from political lobbyists? Not that the money isn't there already, but these 'unpaid' politicians may rely on it even more than they do now.

[Orangedog]

I've said it a thousand times....take the money out of the picture and these so-called public servants who just want to do what's right "for the children" will all of a sudden not care so much anymore. Cut off the cash and the vultures will vanish.

[meenie]

I think you are onto something. I think though that we should show them that we are compassionate conservatives and give them food stamps. Let them panhandle on the street corner for luxuries such as new shoes, get-aways to the pool hall, and trips to grandma's house.

[technochick99]

If it's a part time job, why not pay a part-time stipend?

[SauronOfMordor]

Cut off the cash and the vultures will vanish.

Cut off the cash, and you will get a lot of people looking to get on the board so they can steer contracts toward their "friends".

Wipe out the school board entirely. Have a school administrator (either elected or appointed by mayor) who will be held personally responsible for school quality

Committees are a plague

[Orangedog]

Wipe out the school board entirely. Have a school administrator (either elected or appointed by mayor) who will be held personally responsible for school quality

No person who holds any public office, either appointed or elected, is ever held personally responsible for the consequences of their actions or decisions they make in office. The worst that could happen is that they lose their job at the hands of the voters or whoever appointed them, but 99% are legally shielded from any kind of penalty unless a specific crime was commited. And even in a lot of those cases, it's a slap on the wrist.

I'm so sick of this "for the children" scam that has been crammed down our throats. We are told (hell, in some cases, we're ordered) that if we don't hand over more and more money to these "tireless servants" who care only for the children, then we are neglecting or even abusing them. These parasites hold hostage the well being of kids then try to shame us if we don't go along with the extortion. It's a good thing for them that I don't run the universe, because if I did, it would be illegal for anyone to profit in any way from kids.

[Redbob]

BUMP for a great idea!

[summer]

BTTT to your post! :)

[pulaskibush]

good idea! They need to find more government deadbeats and take their pay. Do that and not pay the UN, IMF, and any Islamic country that oppresses it's people (which so far is all of them), and you got yourself a good economy!!

[cake_crumb]

"By a 12-7 vote, a House committee on Wednesday approved an amendment proposed by Rep. Ralph Arza, R-Hialeah, making local school board seats essentially volunteer jobs, noting that school board members earn more than first-year teachers in most Florida school districts."

GREAT news, but they're going to crucify Jeb on this.

No, we shouldn't pay the school board in ANY district any more than we pay our local fire department. Additionally, school board members, unlike the members of volunteer fire dept. and ambulance associations, have a lot more power to do a HECKUVALOT more damage to the payers of school taxes and students than firemen and EMTs do.

[caltrop]

I agree. I'll go with upaid volunteers every time.

[FreeTally]

Sounds like a nice idea, but don't you think officers who are NOT paid a salary will be more easily swayed by other sources of income from political lobbyists?

I was thinking this too. But the other side of the coin is that if unpaid, then only persons who can afford to "not have a job" will be able to get these positions. Sure, they are not 9-5, 5-day a weeks jobs(well, thy really aren't but they try to make you think they are), so you could have a real job, but if your employer didn't like the interferance, then a "public" job may not be a feasible addition to your workload. On a local level, I think "public" boards such as this should be volunteer and no pay. Concerning other officials, both county, State and national, I think they should only be paid the average per-capita income.

[LarryLied]

Citizen school boards! Wonderful. When I was in kindergarten my mom was on one. Believe it or not, the principal and public school teachers were delighted when a Catholic school opened in our small Connecticut town. It meant lower taxes for everyone. Those were the days....