edsource.org Open in urlscan Pro
162.159.135.42 Public Scan

Back to summary

URL:
https://edsource.org/2023/key-california-legislator-proposes-raising-teacher-pay-by-50-over-7-years-paid-for-by-state...
Submission: On June 19 via manual (June 19th 2023, 1:28:48 am UTC) from US — Scanned from US

Form analysis
4 forms found in the DOM

<form class="gsc-search-box gsc-search-box-tools" accept-charset="utf-8">
  <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" role="presentation" class="gsc-search-box">
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td class="gsc-input">
          <div class="gsc-input-box" id="gsc-iw-id1">
            <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" role="presentation" id="gs_id50" class="gstl_50 gsc-input" style="width: 100%; padding: 0px;">
              <tbody>
                <tr>
                  <td id="gs_tti50" class="gsib_a"><input autocomplete="off" type="text" size="10" class="gsc-input" name="search" title="search" aria-label="search" id="gsc-i-id1" dir="ltr" spellcheck="false"
                      style="width: 100%; padding: 0px; border: none; margin: 0px; height: auto; background: url(&quot;https://www.google.com/cse/static/images/1x/en/branding.png&quot;) left center no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); outline: none;"
                      placeholder="Search EdSource Website..."></td>
                  <td class="gsib_b">
                    <div class="gsst_b" id="gs_st50" dir="ltr"><a class="gsst_a" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Clear search box" role="button" style="display: none;"><span class="gscb_a" id="gs_cb50" aria-hidden="true">×</span></a></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
              </tbody>
            </table>
          </div>
        </td>
        <td class="gsc-search-button"><button class="gsc-search-button gsc-search-button-v2"><svg width="13" height="13" viewBox="0 0 13 13">
              <title>search</title>
              <path
                d="m4.8495 7.8226c0.82666 0 1.5262-0.29146 2.0985-0.87438 0.57232-0.58292 0.86378-1.2877 0.87438-2.1144 0.010599-0.82666-0.28086-1.5262-0.87438-2.0985-0.59352-0.57232-1.293-0.86378-2.0985-0.87438-0.8055-0.010599-1.5103 0.28086-2.1144 0.87438-0.60414 0.59352-0.8956 1.293-0.87438 2.0985 0.021197 0.8055 0.31266 1.5103 0.87438 2.1144 0.56172 0.60414 1.2665 0.8956 2.1144 0.87438zm4.4695 0.2115 3.681 3.6819-1.259 1.284-3.6817-3.7 0.0019784-0.69479-0.090043-0.098846c-0.87973 0.76087-1.92 1.1413-3.1207 1.1413-1.3553 0-2.5025-0.46363-3.4417-1.3909s-1.4088-2.0686-1.4088-3.4239c0-1.3553 0.4696-2.4966 1.4088-3.4239 0.9392-0.92727 2.0864-1.3969 3.4417-1.4088 1.3553-0.011889 2.4906 0.45771 3.406 1.4088 0.9154 0.95107 1.379 2.0924 1.3909 3.4239 0 1.2126-0.38043 2.2588-1.1413 3.1385l0.098834 0.090049z">
              </path>
            </svg></button></td>
        <td class="gsc-clear-button">
          <div class="gsc-clear-button" title="clear results">&nbsp;</div>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</form>

POST https://edsource.org/wp-login.php

<form action="https://edsource.org/wp-login.php" method="POST" class="unselectable">
  <h1>Kindly Log In</h1>
  <input type="hidden" name="redirect_to" value="https://edsource.org:443/2023/key-california-legislator-proposes-raising-teacher-pay-by-50-over-7-years-paid-for-by-state-funding/">
  <input name="a" type="hidden" value="login">
  <label for="log">Username</label>
  <input name="log" type="text" id="log" value="" class="username">
  <label for="pwd">Password</label>
  <input name="pwd" type="password" id="pwd" class="password">
  <span class="controls">
    <input type="button" class="closer go-button" value="Cancel">
    <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit" class="go-button">
  </span>
</form>

POST https://edsource.org/wp-comments-post.php

<form action="https://edsource.org/wp-comments-post.php" method="post" id="commentform">
  <div id="comment-form-elements" class="clearance nobull">
    <p><label class="" for="author"><b>Name <span class="required">*</span></b><input type="text" name="author" id="author" value="" placeholder="Your Name" tabindex="1" aria-required="true"></label></p>
    <p><label class="" for="email"><b>Mail <span class="required">*</span></b><input type="email" name="email" id="email" value="" placeholder="Your E-Mail" tabindex="2" aria-required="true"></label></p>
    <p><label class="" for="url"><b>Website</b><input type="url" name="url" id="url" value="" placeholder="Got a website?" tabindex="3"></label></p>
  </div>
  <p><label for="comment"><b>Comment</b><textarea name="comment" id="comment" placeholder="Your Comment here..." tabindex="4" onkeydown="gcllCounter(this);" onkeyup="gcllCounter(this);"></textarea></label></p>
  <p><input name="submit" type="submit" id="submit" class="button" tabindex="5" value="Post Comment"><input type="hidden" name="comment_post_ID" value="688919" id="comment_post_ID">
    <input type="hidden" name="comment_parent" id="comment_parent" value="0">
  </p>
  <p style="display: none;"><input type="hidden" id="akismet_comment_nonce" name="akismet_comment_nonce" value="ab97142d67"></p>
  <p style="display: none !important;"><label>Δ<textarea name="ak_hp_textarea" cols="45" rows="8" maxlength="100"></textarea></label><input type="hidden" id="ak_js_1" name="ak_js" value="1687138121432">
    <script>
      document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value", (new Date()).getTime());
    </script>
  </p>
  <!--<div class="alert alert-info"><p id="allowed_tags" class="small"><b>XHTML:</b> You can use these tags: <code>&lt;a href=&quot;&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;abbr title=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;acronym title=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;blockquote cite=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;cite&gt; &lt;code&gt; &lt;del datetime=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;em&gt; &lt;i&gt; &lt;q cite=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;s&gt; &lt;strike&gt; &lt;strong&gt; </code></p></div>-->
</form>

Name: embedded_signup — POST https://visitor2.constantcontact.com/api/signup

<form data-id="embedded_signup:form" class="ctct-custom-form Form" name="embedded_signup" method="POST" action="https://visitor2.constantcontact.com/api/signup">
  <!-- The following code must be included to ensure your sign-up form works properly. -->
  <input data-id="ca:input" type="hidden" name="ca" value="d5cec808-47d2-41a6-b68e-62671dbda714">
  <input data-id="list:input" type="hidden" name="list" value="1161644749">
  <input data-id="source:input" type="hidden" name="source" value="EFD">
  <input data-id="required:input" type="hidden" name="required" value="list,email">
  <input data-id="url:input" type="hidden" name="url" value="">
  <p data-id="Email Address:p" class="email-section"><label data-id="Email Address:label" data-name="email" class="ctct-form-required"></label> <input data-id="Email Address:input" type="text" name="email" value="" maxlength="80"
      placeholder="Email Address"></p>
  <button type="submit" class="Button ctct-button Button--block Button-secondary" data-enabled="enabled" disabled="">Sign Up</button>
  <div id="signup-validator" style="height:0px; overflow: hidden;text-align:center;margin-top:14px" class="inactive">
    <span id="dot" class="dead"></span>
    <span style="font-size: 18px;font-family:'proxima-nova-condensed'">I'm a human</span>
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

Education Beat Podcast — Schools are counting - and helping - more homeless
students — Listen Now!
EXPLORE: Quick GuidesSmarter Balanced test scores for 2022
*
*
*
*
*

* Donate
* Subscribe
*

Custom Search

Sort by:
Relevance

Relevance
Date

Quick search above or Advanced Search
☰
* Topics
* Charter Schools
* College & Careers
* Coronavirus
* Distance Learning
* Early Learning
* Elections and Education
* High-needs students
* Immigration
* Legislation & Budget
* Literacy
* Local Control Funding
* Math & Science
* Policy & Finance
* Race and Equity
* Research & Reports in Brief
* School Discipline
* Social and Emotional Learning
* Student Wellbeing
* Teachers
* Teacher Shortage
* Projects & Investigations
* A Broken System Of University Transfer
* A town’s library fight spotlights inequities
* CSU’s Title IX Reckoning
* California’s Community Colleges: At a Crossroads
* Dual Enrollment: Who’s in, who’s out
* California’s Reading Dilemma
* Investigations
* Finishing in Four Years
* Class of 2022
* California’s Enrollment Rollercoaster
* Teaching Mathematics in California
* Adjuncts’ gig economy at CA community colleges
* Remote’s impact on the youngest
* Following Covid Money in Education
* Learning Well: Beyond the Pandemic
* College And Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted
* Education during Covid: California families struggle to learn
* Rural California: An Education Divide
* Saving Stege
* California’s Teacher Housing Crunch
* Tainted Taps: Lead puts California Students at Risk
* Full Circle: California Schools Work To Transform Discipline
* California’s Homeless Students: Undercounted, Underfunded And Growing
* Common Core Explained
* Local Control Funding Formula Explained
* Audio & Video
* Podcasts
* Roundtables
* Video
* Commentaries
* Share your commentary
* Data
* California School Dashboard Data
* Smarter Balanced Results Database
* Interactive Maps & Infographics
* Vaccination Database
* Ed-Data Partnership
* States in Motion
* Publications
* Newsletters
* Quick Guides
* Artículos en Español
* Teacher Survey Project
* Getting Down to Facts
* Publications Archive
* Glossary of Terms
* Eyes on the Early Years Newsletter Archive
* About EdSource
* Donate
* EdSource Staff
* California Student Journalism Corps
* Board of Directors
* Our Supporters
* Awards
* EdSource Teachers Advisory Group
* Jobs at EdSource
* Contact Us
* Be a Source for EdSource
* Republication Guidelines

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KINDLY LOG IN

Username Password

SCHOOL FINANCE

KEY CALIFORNIA LEGISLATOR PROPOSES RAISING TEACHER PAY BY 50% OVER 7 YEARS, PAID
FOR BY STATE FUNDING

THOUGH NOT A STATE MANDATE, DISTRICTS WOULD FEEL PRESSURE TO FOLLOW SUIT

SCHOOL FINANCE

APRIL 19, 2023

JOHN FENSTERWALD

18 COMMENTS

Republish
Credit: Office of Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi
Credit: Office of Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi

JOHN FENSTERWALD

APRIL 19, 2023

18 COMMENTS

Republish

Al Muratsuchi, the new chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, is seeking
to raise pay statewide for teachers and other school workers by 50% over the
next seven years. To pay for it, he’s proposing to increase base funding under
the Local Control Funding Formula, also by 50%, in legislation he introduced
last week.

The California Federation of Teachers, the smaller of the two unions that
represents teachers, is the sole sponsor of the bill. “We went to him
(Muratsuchi) with the idea to address the staffing crisis, and he agreed,” said
Jeff Freitas, CFT president.

“We’re all aware of the crisis,” said Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance.
“Numerous studies have found that young people don’t become teachers because of
pay.”

Muratsuchi has authored other bills over the past five years calling for big
increases in per student funding to align California with the top 10 funded
states. Although they haven’t passed, Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers have
capitalized on rising state revenues to approve record increases to the funding
formula. Assembly Bill 938, however, would take a very different tack, by making
higher employee pay the explicit driver of multiyear increases in TK-12 funding.

The bill assumes that school districts and charter schools would agree with the
explicitly stated purpose of AB 938 and would commit the bulk of their yearly
base funding increases to higher pay for employees.

But the bill would state an intention, not impose a mandate. Only future
Legislatures can decide how much to spend annually on the funding formula and
how to spend it. They could have a different strategy for recruiting teachers,
or they may be faced with a recession and suspend a cost-of-living adjustment,
or COLA.

The bill also would not dictate the size of annual raises for employees in every
district; that would remain subject to local bargaining and school board
approval. But AB 938 would give employee unions leverage in their negotiations,
as it should, said Freitas. Unions that reached an impasse and turned to a fact
finder could refer to the Legislature’s intent to justify a larger raise, for
example.

“If districts ignore what is provided by the state for employees, what is left
is to go out on strike,” he said. “We’ll be working with our unions to move
forward together.”

UPCOMING ROUNDTABLE

FIXING OUR TEACHER SHORTAGE

Ensuring new teachers stay in the profession is key to addressing California’s
teacher shortage.

Join us on April 26 at 4 p.m. to hear from teachers about what got them through
those difficult first years and from experts about strategies for supporting new
teachers, especially teachers of color.

Claudia Briggs, a spokesperson for the California Teachers Association, which
supports the bill, said, “We would hope that districts would act in the best
interest of students and follow the intent of the law.”

Along with the CFT and CTA, Muratsuchi can expect unions serving classified
workers, like the Service Employees International Union, will be four-square
behind AB 938.

Following a three-day strike last month, SEIU 99, representing hourly employees
in Los Angeles Unified, ratified a contract giving members a phased-in 30% pay
increase — already more than half-way toward the 50% target raise under the
bill.

A hearing on the bill before the Assembly Education Committee is scheduled for
April 26, when the CFT plans to launch its campaign for the bill, with dozens of
school employees from across the state rallying at the Capitol and testifying at
the hearing.

SOME SKEPTICISM, CONCERNS

Muratsuchi said the bill underscores the need to address a growing “teacher wage
penalty” that discourages young people from going into teaching. The preamble of
the bill cites a 2022 study by the Economic Policy Institute that found that the
gap between wages of teachers and other professions with similar education and
certification requirements has grown to 17.6% in California and 23.5% nationwide
in 2021.

Muratsuchi said the strike in Los Angeles Unified highlighted that cafeteria
workers were not getting paid a living wage. “The pay wasn’t enough to fill
these and other positions,” he said.

However, Muratsuchi may face opposition from school district management
organizations, which were not consulted in drafting the bills. The California
School Boards Association and the Association of California School
Administrators are withholding public comment, for now.

But other observers, while agreeing with the bill’s revenue aspirations, are
expressing reservations about its solutions.

“Raising LCFF rates by 50% is admirable, and all education advocates, including
me, support this aspirational goal. Achieving this goal, however, is not
realistic given plummeting state revenues and consensus economic forecasts,”
said Eric Premack, executive director of the Charter Schools Development Center,
which provides leadership development, advocacy and technical assistance on
charter school issues.

Todd Maddison, director of research for Transparent California, a project that
compiles and makes publicly available government pay and pension data in
California, questions the Economic Policy Institute’s data. His analysis of
2021-22 compensation determined the median California teacher salary was $96,323
– $8,000 more than a comparably educated worker outside of education.

Added Premack, ”When combined with a very strong retirement system, the typical
substantial health and welfare benefits, and typical work year of 185 days, and
unparalleled job security, this is very sound compensation.”

Employee compensation consumes 85% to 90% of all district expenditures; the
remaining 10-15% must absorb rising costs of employee pension obligations and
health-care contributions, putting a squeeze on other initiatives to raise
student achievement.

The bill would encroach on school boards’ discretion under local control, said
Mike Fine, CEO of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, or FCMAT, a
school finance agency charged with helping school districts in financial
trouble. Restricting the Local Control Funding Formula’s unrestricted funding is
at odds with the law’s principles, he said. ‘At some point the “L” won’t be
‘local’ but ‘legislative’.”

Fine, too, credits Muratsuchi pointing out the need for addressing compensation.
“Without adequate year-over-year increases that align with inflation, the
purchasing power of school employees declines,” as the Economic Policy Institute
report indicates, he said.

But some districts have lower compensation levels to offset lower class sizes or
other classroom supports, Fine said. “The value of local collective bargaining
is that it considers local conditions based on the welfare of the students and
community. Why should their local decision be penalized?”

Premack said awarding the same across-the-board increases for all teachers is an
inefficient approach. “It’s an extremely expensive way to address teacher
shortage/retention issues, especially when we know that the shortage is most
problematic in specific areas,” he said, such as math, science and special
education.

The funding formula’s base funding, making up 82% of the total, covers
districts’ basic expenditures, from textbooks to electricity to employee
compensation. The remaining 18% is dedicated to raising student achievement of
underserved students and is distributed through “supplemental” and
“concentration” grants to districts based on the numbers of English learners and
low-income, homeless and foster students who attend.

All districts receive the same base funding per student. The funding varies by
grade span, recognizing that it costs more to educate high school students than
elementary and middle school students. AB 938 would set new funding targets for
grade spans for 2030-31, from $13,749 per student for kindergarten through third
grade to $16,653 per student grades 9 to 12. That is 50% more than the $9,166 to
$11,102 respectively that districts are receiving this year for those grades.

Using the state’s latest projections for annual cost-of-living adjustments for
the next four years and smaller COLA estimates for the remaining years, assuming
inflation will be tamed by then, the school consultancy firm School Services of
California estimates that COLAs will cover most, but not the full 50% pay raise
in the bill. The state would have to meet the 11% estimated shortfall by funding
a “super COLA” over the next seven years or raise more revenue for education —
an option the bill does not cover.

In his January budget proposal, Newsom included an 8% COLA for 2023-24, but
projections will undoubtedly change with economic conditions, and calculating
how much they are contributing annually to meet the 50% raises will likely be
complex.

The bill calls for using the teacher salary schedules that FCMAT and unions
annually collect for the state, called the Form J-90. Filing is currently
voluntary, with about 80% of districts enrolling 95.6% of students
participating; it would become mandatory, starting in 2023-24. But districts
have not reported salaries for classified workers, and unlike certificated
employees, who have several salary schedules, classified bargaining units
usually have 40 to 50 salary schedules tied to various jobs, from bus drivers to
classroom aides, Fine said, so the structure of the reporting and the volume of
data will be complicated and increase significantly.

“There needs to be a thoughtful discussion about the proposal to identify the
opportunities and challenges it presents,” Fine said.

To get more reports like this one, click here to sign up for EdSource’s no-cost
daily email on latest developments in education.

Republish this article

Republish

JOHN FENSTERWALD WRITES ABOUT EDUCATION POLICY AND ITS IMPACT IN CALIFORNIA.

EXPLORE:

School FinanceAl MuratsuchiCalifornia Federation of TeachersEric PremackMichael
Fine

COMMENTS (18)

LEAVE A COMMENT

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. REQUIRED FIELDS ARE MARKED * *

Click here to cancel reply.

Name *

Mail *

Website

Comment

COMMENTS POLICY

We welcome your comments. All comments are moderated for civility, relevance and
other considerations. Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy.

*
*

1. FOODLE 3 WEEKS AGO3 WEEKS AGO

They should also raise the pay for office staff, health techs, aides,
custodial, cafeteria, and Licensed Vocational Nurses, they work just as
hard as teachers do.

2. SC 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

As a 5th year high school teacher, I have seen different reasons for
leaving the profession than pay. Our pay is fine, benefits are great. What
is really pushing us out of the classroom is huge classes, the lack of
disciplinary follow through, daily disrespect from kids and parents, having
to push every kid through with passing grades they didn't earn, and a lack
of respect for our expertise. It's also on us to be … Read More

As a 5th year high school teacher, I have seen different reasons for
leaving the profession than pay. Our pay is fine, benefits are great. What
is really pushing us out of the classroom is huge classes, the lack of
disciplinary follow through, daily disrespect from kids and parents, having
to push every kid through with passing grades they didn’t earn, and a lack
of respect for our expertise. It’s also on us to be nurses, social workers,
intervention teachers, to solve systemic poverty, etc…

Teachers see the declining test scores. We know what needs to be done.
Unfortunately when I have 38 kids in a classroom anywhere from a 1st grade
to college reading level because everyone gets moved along no matter what,
how do I provide appropriate texts that don’t make anyone feel singled out?
When I have a kid who is violently disruptive and interrupts the indication
of their peers every period of every day, and sending them to admin gets a
finger wag and a treat, how am I supposed to maintain a calm and controlled
classroom where learning can happen? How can I do small group intervention
when the other kids bust out their phones the second I’m focusing on the
smaller group? When we can’t use pedagogical best strategies in favor of
the flavor of the month consultant and their “guaranteed methods,” how can
I build consistency and routine?

Teachers in CA aren’t leaving because of pay. We are leaving because we are
not being allowed to do the jobs we were hired to do.

Replies

* JOHN 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

SC, you nailed it. I’m a 17 year vet. I’d love to be paid more but that
is nowhere near my chief complaint. Your comment is spot on.

3. MARIA 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

About time!! My respects to all teachers, specially now a days. They
deserve even more they have such a major role in our future generations.
Finally

4. PAUL MUENCH 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

I’m not sure this proposal will pay teachers enough, but if you want to
change the nature of who works in our education system something like this
will be required. If California can stick to this strategy in the long term
maybe it can succeed at what Michelle Rhee never was able to finish.

Replies

* TODD MADDISON 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

Perhaps you could define “enough”? Is a median total compensation of
$125k not “enough”? And if not, what would you say is?

https://edsource.org/2022/respect-for-teachers-means-more-than-a-pay-raise/682741

5. DR. BILL CONRAD 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

With fewer than 1/2 of students literate in reading and only about 1/3 math
literate (Much lower for children of color!), one might think it prudent to
include a smidgen of accountability with a pay raise. Highly qualified
young people eschew teaching because of the utter lack of professionalism
within the system. Until the colleges of education are transformed into
institutions capable of attracting the highest quality candidates and
training them well in curricula, pedagogy, and … Read More

Highly qualified young people eschew teaching because of the utter lack of
professionalism within the system. Until the colleges of education are
transformed into institutions capable of attracting the highest quality
candidates and training them well in curricula, pedagogy, and assessments,
young people will naturally elect to join serious professions!

The lack of career ladders in K-12 also are unattractive to highly
qualified candidates as they really don’t want the most challenging
teaching assignments as novice teachers!

More money without K-12 transformation and accountability will ensure a
more expensive status quo – the definition of insanity!

No?

Replies

* SD PARENT 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

I agree. History indicates that if the state wants to improve student
outcomes by investing more in education, then it also needs to hold
school districts and their employees accountable for student outcomes in
some manner or just get more of the same, mediocre results. If higher pay
were the solution, then student outcomes should have improved
significantly over the past decade – but they haven't. The state's annual
financial contribution to school districts … Read More

If higher pay were the solution, then student outcomes should have
improved significantly over the past decade – but they haven’t. The
state’s annual financial contribution to school districts has increased
more than 50% since 2016-17, and employee compensation has increased as
well (although take-home pay was partially muted by the rise in school
districts’ required pension contributions). But that increased investment
in education hasn’t resulted in better outcomes for students, with
overall student proficiency stagnating (never rising above 51% meeting
standards in ELA and 40% meeting standards in Math, even prior to the
pandemic–and sliding lower post-pandemic) and achievement gaps persisting
and widening (post-pandemic).

Everyone is quick to point out how educators are underpaid compared to
other “comparable” professions. At the same time, educators are not held
to the same standards as these other professions, where one is held
accountable for their work product.

* TODD MADDISON 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

Certainly, but just a note. Educators are not underpaid compared to
other professions, even without considering the huge amounts they get
in retirement plan compensation that private employees get they still
make about $8k/year more than they would make in private industry
(without summers off…)

https://edsource.org/2022/respect-for-teachers-means-more-than-a-pay-raise/682741

* JANET GOLDSBURY 1 MONTH AGO1 MONTH AGO

Hello Dr. Bill Conrad. Yes, the rates of proficiency are dismal and only
appear to be getting worse. You oversimplified the root cause by looking
at teachers. As a math teacher, I can assure you that my hands are tied.
The billion dollar testing industry, and bloated, overpaid and
incompetent administration and district offices full of paper pushers,
have us all by the **** It's demoralizing to see our kids tested and
tested and tested … Read More

Hello Dr. Bill Conrad. Yes, the rates of proficiency are dismal and only
appear to be getting worse. You oversimplified the root cause by looking
at teachers.

As a math teacher, I can assure you that my hands are tied. The billion
dollar testing industry, and bloated, overpaid and incompetent
administration and district offices full of paper pushers, have us all by
the ****

It’s demoralizing to see our kids tested and tested and tested without
the opportunity for review the test results with the students, and
without legitimate interpretation of all the data we collect. The
excessive testing robs instructional time, demoralizes students who are
being tested on material that everyone knows we have not covered. We
haven’t covered the material because we are testing!

The only winners are Pearson and the tech industry. Kids are being
excessively immersed in the use of computers when the jury is out on the
appropriate amount of computer use for the appropriate age. IQ scores are
falling for the first time since we began collecting data. Children are
unsupervised or under-supervised at home because of the breakdown of the
nuclear family and because of the increasing income inequality so that
even in two parent households, both parents must work fulltime and are
overworked leaving no one to care for the children.

The diet of children is high in sugary and processed foods which has well
established negative effects on cognitive development. Music and art are
sidelined. Politicians line their pockets and legislate for their own
best interests. The American culture is anti-intellectual and
anti-science. And you post wanting accountability from teachers!

Yes, I have superhuman powers (sarcasm) and I should be held responsible
to properly educate the children born to the products of this society?
From my perspective the people who sincerely care the most, are the
teachers. All those outside the classroom claiming a role in the
education system are working only to enrich themselves, stroke their
egos, climb the career ladder, wield power over others, and hear their
own voices.

It’s a hopeless situation. I have no expectations for things to get
better. In fact, I believe we are a society in decline and will continue
to decline. It’s not the teachers’ fault. At all!

6. CAROL 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

They should also raise the pay for office staff, health techs, aides,
custodial, cafeteria, and Licensed Vocational Nurses, they work just as
hard as teachers do.

7. DAN PLONSEY 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

The argument that this bill "is not realistic given plummeting state
revenues and consensus economic forecasts," is based on the assumption of
no change to California tax structure. However, CFT is also proposing a
bill to tax the wealth of the very wealthiest Californians: "Whereas the
combined wealth of the richest one percent in California is two trillion
dollars, approximately thirty percent of all the state's wealth," the
billionaires having "increas[ed] their wealth by fifty … Read More

The argument that this bill “is not realistic given plummeting state
revenues and consensus economic forecasts,” is based on the assumption of
no change to California tax structure. However, CFT is also proposing a
bill to tax the wealth of the very wealthiest Californians: “Whereas the
combined wealth of the richest one percent in California is two trillion
dollars, approximately thirty percent of all the state’s wealth,” the
billionaires having “increas[ed] their wealth by fifty percent since March
2020” (from 2023 CFT Convention Resolution 4) — it’s clear that we could
fund this increase in pay (which, BTW, at 6%/year (compounded, to make 50%)
is not even as much as recent inflation) without increasing taxes on the
bottom 99%, while at the same time, reducing CA’s very damaging economic
inequality, albeit very slightly.

re: Madison’s argument that teachers are not more underpaid than others is
easily resolved: if teachers are in short supply in a capitalist economy,
then they are underpaid.

Replies

* TOMM 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

Interesting comments worth expanding upon. CA already has the highest
income tax rate in the country, and the wealthiest can and do relocate to
lower tax states! Agree in the principal that teachers need to be paid
more if the current pay scale is not attracting and retaining teachers.
However, not with the current union system that lacks performance based
pay as well as several other union rules including the tenure system …
Read More

* ERIC PREMACK 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

Dan: Yes, arguably my quote doesn't address the potential for tax
increases. I'll note, however, that California already has the nation's
highest taxes for high-income individuals, including a 12.3 percent rate
for high-income individuals and an extra 1 percent surcharge for income
over $1 million. Our sales and property taxes/fees are very high too.
High-income individuals pay the bulk of the state's income taxes, which,
in turn, fund K-12 education. … Read More

Dan: Yes, arguably my quote doesn’t address the potential for tax
increases. I’ll note, however, that California already has the nation’s
highest taxes for high-income individuals, including a 12.3 percent rate
for high-income individuals and an extra 1 percent surcharge for income
over $1 million. Our sales and property taxes/fees are very high too.
High-income individuals pay the bulk of the state’s income taxes, which,
in turn, fund K-12 education. For those of us who are concerned about the
long-term sustainability of our state-controlled education funding
system, recent migration data from the Public Policy Institute of
California indicates a chilling recent uptick in out-migration of
high-income individuals. Unsurprisingly, most have migrated to states
with lower taxes. This is especially the case post-Pandemic as many
high-income individuals figure out that they can telecommute to work from
low-tax states while still earning high California salaries. We can “go
to the well” only so many times before it is overdrawn.

* TODD MADDISON 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

Then given they are not in short supply, you must agree they are not
underpaid, then? Some actual data linked. An on a smaller scale, my own
district, Oceanside Unified, released it's annual report a few days ago,
which showed 17 applicants for every job. Of those, on average five were
fully qualified. Anyone in a position to hire would tell you getting five
qualified applicants for every job is the opposite of … Read More

Then given they are not in short supply, you must agree they are not
underpaid, then?

Some actual data linked. An on a smaller scale, my own district,
Oceanside Unified, released it’s annual report a few days ago, which
showed 17 applicants for every job. Of those, on average five were fully
qualified. Anyone in a position to hire would tell you getting five
qualified applicants for every job is the opposite of a “shortage”.

Do you have any actual data from your own district (often called the
“Personnel Report”)? I’d love to see it.

https://www.the74million.org/article/new-data-schools-have-been-adding-teachers-even-as-they-serve-fewer-students/

8. TOMM 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

My blood boils when a government worker group with a lock on an industry
wants and gets large wage increases (e.g.LAUSD) even though they were
highly instrumental in keeping our public school kids out of the classroom
way longer than scientifically necessary and lots of other states. How
about getting something in return Mr. Muratsuchi? Here’s an idea – school
choice.

9. LUIS 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

And of course, in California there is no accountability! Public education
was terrible for many subgroups like black, Latino, and SPED kids far
before the teacher shortages and the pandemic. This is a blind money grab
and yet CA is at the bottom in literacy! Tear apart the unions, allow for
competition and watch the educational market correct itself

10. MONICA 2 MONTHS AGO2 MONTHS AGO

I am an instructional tutor in a special needs classroom helping the
learning and physically disabled. I have my B.A. degree and site supervisor
permit for preschool. I make just under $26,000 per year with benefits
(that I pay for). Working 9 months per year this is not much income. I took
this position in order to help with the caregiving needs I have for my
elder parents. The pay is very low and not the reason I took the job. I’m
in my 50’s and it’s not easy to find work that allows me the time off I
need in order to help with family needs. I believe teachers deserve better
pay, BUT so do the instructional tutors and assistants who work every bit
as hard and don’t get paid a living wage for that! Especially those who
have attended college. My district does not allow for a stipend in having
my degree because I earned it before I worked for the school district. I
believe we should get a stipend regardless of whether we earned our degree
while working with the district or not. Education is education and it NEVER
goes away. We should be compensated, too!

*
*

EdSource · Schools are counting - and helping - more homeless students

SCHOOLS ARE COUNTING – AND HELPING – MORE HOMELESS STUDENTS

June 15, 2023 - When Ana Franquis' family was evicted, they had nowhere to turn.
They found help with the school district.
Subscribe and view more

WHAT’S THE LATEST?

* FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2023 — 1:08 PM

CLOVIS UNIFIED APPROVES DISTRICT’S FIRST UNION CONTRACT FOR HIGHER PAY,
BETTER BENEFITS FOR ITS MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS

* FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2023 — 9:59 AM

CIVIL GRAND JURY: SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED’S TEACHER SHORTAGE WORSE THAN THE
STATE’S

* FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2023 — 9:44 AM

CONSERVATIVE CHINO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD BANS PRIDE FLAGS

Template last modified:

* Topics
* Coronavirus
* Early Learning
* Distance Learning
* College & Careers
* Commentary
* Special Education
* Student Well-Being
* Policy & Finance
* Projects
* Podcasts
* Roundtables
* College and Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted
* Education During Covid: Families Struggle to Learn
* Rural California: An Education Divide
* California’s Teacher Housing Crunch
* Tainted Taps
* California’s Homeless Students
* Smarter Balanced Database
* States in Motion
* About EdSource
* About Us
* Subscribe
* Donate
* EdSource Staff
* Board of Directors
* Jobs at EdSource
* Our Supporters
* Contact Us
* Be a Source for EdSource
* Republishing Guidelines

436 14th St.
Suite 310
Oakland, CA 94612

PHONE 510-433-0421 | FAX 510-433-0422

edsource@edsource.org

Go to mobile version
Thanks for signing up!

STAY INFORMED WITH OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER

edsource.org Open in urlscan Pro 162.159.135.42 Public Scan

Form analysis 4 forms found in the DOM

POST https://edsource.org/wp-login.php

POST https://edsource.org/wp-comments-post.php

Name: embedded_signup — POST https://visitor2.constantcontact.com/api/signup

Text Content

edsource.org Open in urlscan Pro
162.159.135.42 Public Scan

Form analysis
4 forms found in the DOM