School board orders cut in teachers’ pay

Does the East Providence School Committee have the legal authority to take this action?  If so, what’s to stop other cities and towns from following suit?  This could become a real mess that could take millions of dollars to resolve.

Condemnation is in fact the environment we are all living in. I have no problem with teachers or anyone who works in an environment where seniority, group negotiations, and contracts are a reality. That is there chosen field. Not place to tell someone where to work and what to do for a career. In fact, and to be frank, I considered becoming a teacher, but I have an aversion to whining and to people who whine all too often.
However, most of us do not live in the environment of the minority you are championing. Do not expect sympathy from the many when you are asked to take a 5% pay cut and pay a small portion of your healthcare. Many of the lucky who are still employed must walk into work on a daily basis wondering if today is the day the “expense” cuts come down. If one is fortunate enough to survive, he or she will be greatly rewarded with an increase to workload for no additional pay. If these people do not want to take a pay cut, an option not often given, let some of them go. Problem is simply solved. Simple math: RI has a 10% unemployment rate right now. 5% < 10%.

On point continues to stick, if these teachers are unhappy with their new contracts, why can they not look for employment elsewhere?

People who have chosen careers in the fantasy worlds of non-profits, education, or social service have no real concept of how most people live. Contract disputes? Who has contracts? Free healthcare? What a deal. The proper solution is to take a real world approach and layoff a bunch of these teachers. I find this hilarious that this nonsense even makes headline news when probably about 3000 people will be laid-off in RI and MA during this upcoming year between three large institutions one can find in Providence. You have to read the business section to know about that. I would love to take a 5% pay cut if it meant a guaranteed position.

Simple solution, if there is a fight over the 5% pay cut, lay-off 5% off the work force. Better yet, do not base lay-offs on seniority, another joke of a system, and cut some of teachers who only remain passionless at there positions for a fat paycheck and the summer off. Simply put, 20% for healthcare is a good deal. If these teachers are so unhappy, they can do what any worker in the private sector does, suck it up and deal or look for a new job.

Try being a teacher for just one year, then come back and tell us how easy it was caring about the kids, preparing for the kids, doing this under federally unfunded mandates while also trying to please administrators who sometimes don’t have a clue of how to get the job done. I say ‘job’, but it is really a lifetime commitment. Oh yes and prepare to voluntarily give up any kind of social life during week nights & week ends, dutifully fulfilling your commitments as a dedicated teacher. Don’t forget the thousands of dollars & hours advancing your education & skills WELL beyond a Masters degree. You know what? Why not pay teachers the equivalent pay of lawyers & other professionals at that same level of education & experience? I’m sure everyone would be completely satisfied then. Maybe you would rather we go back to the ‘Good Old Days’ when teachers were spinsters who were expected to find a family to live with, in the town they were teaching. Teachers obviously never really needed unions! They should have stayed the second class citizens they were suppose to be. After all they were only entrusted with the future of our country.

Hi sburke!
You, too, are part of the great unwashed. Why don’t you have the qualifications to be a certified teacher??? You could solve all the problems! Methinks you couldn’t pass the GED to pretend you are a high school graduate! Thanks for your “expert” comments!