California Teachers Might Get a 10% PAY CUT!!!

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed $14 billion in budget cuts on Thursday because of the coronavirus, with more than half coming at the expense of public schools already struggling to educate children from afar during a pandemic.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/ktla.c...rnias-projected-54b-deficit-union-leader/amp/

“• Cutting pay for state workers: A 10% pay cut for California’s roughly 234,000 state employees, including for Newsom and his staff. The governor said he would work with public employee unions to negotiate those cuts, but that they could be imposed if the state cannot reach an agreement. Union leaders say they will propose alternatives

• Shifting pension payments: The state would redirect $2.3 billion intended to help pay down the unfunded pension debt in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers Retirement System. The state would use the money instead to pay pension contributions owed by school districts and community colleges.”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Main-points-of-Gavin-Newsom-s-budget-State-15270843.php

 

If Congress does not pass the $1 trillion relief fund for Western states, public schools are going to receive the largest decrease in funding in history. Public school teachers, by association, will get slammed...

 

So are politicians getting pay cuts or just us working folk?

 

ALL state workers (roughly 234,000) across the board will receive a 10% pay cut including Gavin Newsom himself.

 

The Governor in Hawaii is proposing that all teachers receive a 20% pay cut! Oh my God...

https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/05/schools-chief-use-federal-bailout-money-to-avoid-teacher-pay-cuts/

 

And, while I would like to think that this event has helped people realize the need for teachers, I think if anything, education will be the first thing they cut. Why pay teachers when they are at home? Unfortunately, the money has disappeared, because it's going to other things that are necessary, but if schools do remain closed, there are many people who will not bat an eye to cut teacher's pay. How hard it is it, they will say, to put lessons online and have the students teach themselves. Plus, now we don't have to buy supplies, or use gas money, or any of that. So far, in my area, things don't look too dire, although I think pay raises are not going to happen.

 

It’ll have an affect on private schools, too, eventually (if it already hasn’t). People will lose their jobs and pull their kids out of private schools and put them in public schools to save money.

 

It is certainly possible, but my school has many safety nets in place. I’m not worried at all.

We not too long ago received word from the CEO that we retained 94% of students in spite of the pandemic, which is excellent. And it certainly helps that 60% of the student body is very firmly middle class or well-to-do. The bottom 10% (in terms of socioeconomic status) are on 100% scholarship and so their tuition is already covered, and for the remaining 30%, they pay reduced tuition and whatever they can’t the school and private donors will fill the gap. [Recall, we have almost $65 million in reserves and some of the richer families have committed to providing short-term donations (the multimillionaires)].

I think we should be okay unless something drastic changes.

The CEO thankfully said that we will still receive our planned raises and zero staff members will be cut (yay!) as we needed to retain at least 92% and we retained 94%.

(As an aside, some of my long-term tutoring clients referred me to their friends and so I’m going to be getting more business soon. )

 

My understanding is that the California 10% wage cut is separate from school funding. The education budget has been cut though, and districts will receive less than originally planned, but each district will determine how to manage that shortfall.

 

We received our budget dollars for next year and each school in my district has been cut anywhere from 6%-15%. The cuts depend on several factors (the number of English Learners, number of students receiving free/reduced lunch, etc).

 

Cool. I'm so underpaid to begin with, that will be hardly any money at all. I won't even notice it.

 

I just came from our school and got my new contract with the yearly raise.
I also talked to my principal about this 10 % pay cut, and he said it's not that the governor would make us take the paycut but he would give that much less funding. And, the district can play around in certain ways, for example we are still looking to hire 1 teacher and if that position is not filled, that saves a lot of money. Another solution is that every teacher gives back 2 days, so instead of working and getting paid 184 days, it would be 182. Wouldn't be a popular choice, but it would be a solution. We had this before and then years later the union fought to get the days back.

I hope he's right.

But I don't understand why target state employees only? Why are they punished? It would be more logical to tax everyone a bit more, that way everyone who is working pay a little more and it's based on their income. Taking 10 % is a lot of money.

 

We all got our contracts for 2020-2021, too, and none of us got a pay cut, either.

 

We are in contract negotiations. One idea is a two year continuation of the current contract, so you would still get your step increases, but no overall salary increases. I am not an Ed code expert, but someone on another site stated that the CA Ed code allowed for layoffs outside the normal timeline if there is a financial emergency. I have not found that section of the code, though.

 

Ha, join the club.

 

At my charter, we are still waiting for our 2020-21 offer letters.

 

Which shows a little bit of integrity on the Governor's part -- but only a a little.

Better -- and more effective -- would be increasing the percentage but instituting a floor, where no one below a certain salary level was getting cut.

Newsom is paid $201,680. He could take a 15% cut (or even 30%) and while he'd feel it, he'd certainly survive and taking a much bigger cut would reflect pretty positively on him.

 

My district is still waiting too.

 

Yay! I’m glad.

 

I find it amazing that I agree with you on practically everything almost all the time, haha.

Great post. Agreed with every word.

Gavin’s reason is that pubic education consumes 40% of the state budget and so it’s an easy thing to cut to make up for lost revenues.

 

That's exactly what is happening. We are losing more and more students as parents aren't able to pay for tuition.

 

Increasing taxes takes a bit of time. Also, unemployment has gone from 3.5 to 14.7 percent. People are unable to pay rent or mortgage. Who are you going to tax? Really rich folk? That doesn't usually happen.

 

What’s the current state of the school? I hope your job isn’t on the line...

 

Thanks for your concern. There have been some layoffs, but no classroom teachers. My job looks pretty good right now. If enrollment is low some of us might have to change grade levels. I can live with that. I feel for both the private and public schools during this time. I just hope that more people take a stand to step up for education and teachers. Yes, I know with huge unemployment numbers it won't be easy.

 

Ok but what makes you think that there aren't state employees who are struggling? A clerk at the DMV might not make all that much, and some beginner teachers with the minimum education in some districts don't make a whole lot, and if they have 1-2 kids, they're probably struggling.
if they raise taxes a bit higher, it would be fair because it would be everyone, and it wouldn't be 10 % because he's trying to recover money from a small percentage of people, but taxing everyone would make it spread out and everyone would feel it just a little.
This way, state employees will feel it a lot.

 

Many people do not pay taxes.

 

I'm not saying state workers aren't struggling. I'm saying everybody is struggling. In 2008 I took a 30% pay cut. It wasn't temporary; it was a reset to 10 years back. And now I'm among the unemployed. So you can raise my taxes. I'm certain it will come eventually. But you won't get much for the effort.

 

I understand that. But still more fair than targeting state employees.

 

Everybody is targeted. If people were still working and getting paid the state would have the revenue to keep paying the state employees the same rates. But people aren't working and getting paid. Many are unemployed, getting a 100% pay cut, and contributing to state revenues accordingly (i.e. not at all). That 14.7% unemployment will get worse before it gets better.

But I do agree that some could pay more - the upper 1%. But we get too political down that road.

 

In order to get through all of this, people will have to adjust their decisions a lot. Normally most people can take care of themselves and their own family through work, government, and some help sometimes from a charity. Yes, we need government and charities to do as much as they can, but that won't be enough. Some of us still are working, but spending less on gas, entertainment, travel etc. These people might need to step up and in their own personal way really help those in need. One idea (that isn't new) and in a way costs nothing can really work. If everyone who is still working, has some decent savings, and haven't taken a big pay cut, bought gift cards to the restaurants, movie theaters, and businesses they usually go to, it could help many stay in business. In a way people wouldn't be out any $$ because they still have the gift cards that they can enjoy when they feel it is safe to go out. In Italy nearly half of the people lost their jobs (I heard on the news..probably true). They are doing a lot to buy groceries and other items for each other. I know it is already happening here in the US, but might need to happen a whole lot more. Yes, each situation is different. In total, it might be what gets us through this without letting unemployment and hunger get so out of control that we get a serious, serious depression.

 

I would hope, knowing that this is something that may happen to CA teachers and state employees that they are all saving their stimulus money to help offset the wage cut.

 

Man, I have heard no talk of this yet! I have heard talk that kids may not return in the Fall.
That we might start back up online again. Our union is pretty strong, but I do not think parents would support teachers on a strike if we were not watching their kids. Some teachers have poed some parents here.....by being more demanding than they needed to be.
We were given a certain amount of time for each grade lvl to work per day. I always put up bonus assignments for a few kids and parents who would like to learn more. ( Educated parents, mostly) But, I did not demand more than what we were told to do. If I had of, I'd have had no backing.
We don't have a state tax either ( other than property taxes.)

 

I have seen lots of businesses advertise gift cards locally. The movie theater had a special where you buy 10 tickets for a reduced price. Sounds good if you go to the movies anyway and will go when they reopen. I hardly ever go to the movies or restaurants so that's really not an option for me (unless I save the gift cards for Christmas presents). The only issue that might be troublesome is if you buy some gift cards and the businesses untimately go out of business anyway. Then you won't be able to use them. Spending $50 isn't terrible if you end up losing out but I don't think I'd want to spend more than that and then have the cards be worthless since they went out of business.

 

My students aren't even doing the work I'm sending so they are definitely not asking for more. I email them every day and they say they are doing ok. Oh well. Out of my hands.

 

I've posted a bit about how I am relocating to California and was looking for a job. I accepted a job offer a week ago (even without having CA's credential!!!) and the salary I was told matches their salary scale..not any percentage of it being cut. Dumb question, but could this change still?

 

I found this interesting: https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/m...ium=eml&utm_campaign=savvypr&utm_content=text

My district only has 6% of our budget funded by the state, so we are considered low-risk for job cuts.

 

Let’s just say I found out from a VERY reliable source that teachers in CA are unlikely to receive pay cuts for the 2020-2021 academic year and the budget cuts will primarily apply to people already making six figures.

This person has very detailed knowledge about budgets and is very trustworthy.

It pays having friends in high places.

 

I would be skeptical of any budget /cuts/no cuts right now while we are still in the middle of the virus and who knows how much money is still being lost by states trying to cope with everything.

 

I’m taking each day in stride. Too many uncertainties right now. The only constant in life is change—and that is more true than ever right now.

 

I have been telling a friend the exact same thing 3-5 x a day. We can't worry about tomorrow or "what ifs." Every day has its own problems to solve. Why waste the summer worrying about what may or may not happen next school year? We need to enjoy all that we can right now. We could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It took me years for it to really sink in that I wasn't going to waste time worrying. Just have faith, we'll be OK.