Yes, they would max out if the schedule didn't increase. And? When was the last time the pay schedule was frozen?
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Don't discount that teachers actually get two raises each year. One for step movement, and one for schedule increases. If you truly resent the slim "maxing out" possibility, then fight for a longer schedule with a smaller step increase. What would make sense? 30 steps? 40 steps? I've already seen what happens when those schdules are used. Starting salary suffers. What a great way to perpetuate the profession.

As for working after hours... no salaried position gets overtime or otherwise compensated for their extra time... so I fail to see your point.
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My point is, stated teachers work 180 days at 7.5 hours. Yes, teachers are contracted for an 8 hour day and many are able to find a half our for a lunch. I am guess that is where your 7.5 hours comes from. All I am saying is give teachers the 8 hours they truly work. The great majority of teachers are working 8 hours per day. When figuring their hourly wage...8 hours is fair.
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I get the salaried, no OT thing. I was just pointing out, after you questioned my math, that 8 hours is more than fair for the majority of the great teachers in the JEA.

As for "maxing out," that's a very misleading statement to make. The salary schedule increases every year, including the last step and lane. I haven't heard anything about a scheduled freeze, so even a 17 year PhD gets a raise.
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NO, they don't just get a raise. That is exactly why the negotiations take place. If the union didn't fight for pay increases during each negotiating teachers would "max out."
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The statement isn't misleading...it only doesn't happen because of union contract negotiations.

I never implied they didn't earn it whythink.
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My point is, it's not accurate to talk teacher worth unless you include full cost. I was only correcting your statement. If you don't take insurance, then yes, you cost the district less money. This is why the teacher unit is always costed as a group, otherwise the pay scale would be discriminatory, don't you think?
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As for "maxing out," that's a very misleading statement to make. The salary schedule increases every year, including the last step and lane. I haven't heard anything about a scheduled freeze, so even a 17 year PhD gets a raise.
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As for working after hours... no salaried position gets overtime or otherwise compensated for their extra time... so I fail to see your point.

sorry about the poor grammar. YIKES!

in order for a JEA teacher to make $60k the teacher must have 15 years teaching and a MA + 18 credits, 0r 14 years + MA + 24, Or 12 years + MA + 42, Or 11 years + PHD.
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BTW, teachers also max out at $68k. 17 years + PhD. How many professions "max out"?
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I don't know how many fall into those categories but I believe THEY HAVE EARNED IT!
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I won't so no, because EVERY profession has its bad members but I don't 7.5 hours is a joke of an estimate. I would say many more work above the contracted hours than below them so 8 hours is daily amount I will use.
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$48 / hours if they take the health insurance (I do not).
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BTW, find me a non-product driving business where salaries isn't going to be the largest expense.
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Law Firms, Accounting offices, education, I guess would be all have the most money spent on Salary.

whythink - I have a hard time with your math...
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$44,000 teacher
$26,000 benefits value (Insurance, WRS, FICA, etc.)
$70,000 total package.
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Ignoring extra duty pay, a normal teacher has 180 contract days at 7.5 hours/day.
That's $51.86/hr.
You can't forget about benefits when you're talking teacher cost.

You are using one example, which may or may not be correct. There are many teachers making in excess of $60K. The benefits including sick days, retirement, health insurance are all substantially higher than the private sector.

heidi
With all due respect...
approx. $44,000
7 Years experience
Mater's degree
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= $30.56 per hour
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Really, that is the issue?

I have to disagree that the union is not the problem. Salary and benefits account for 80% of a school districts budget. Teachers make salaries that are equivalent to engineers, who also have degrees. They make more than many other degreed occupations. When you add on the benefits and the guaranteed 3.8% increase each year, they are getting a very good deal for working 10 months out of the year.

Joker, you're right. A foundation could work well if it focuses on supplementary functions and improvements - like the arts. If the foundation is ever relied on to fund operational expenditures, it will FAIL. That being said, the district would need to maintain control of the foundations expenditures or the spending will get frivolous.

Wow, this story is just screaming "foolish" and "short-sighted"! Where do I begin? I agree with most of the comments already. This idea is just wrong on so many fronts.

The school should look within if they are having budget shortfalls. Cuts should be made, not more money being found and spent. I am so tired of this spend first, find money later mentality! Donors do not want to pay for budget shortfalls or to pay the electric bill. That is what property taxes are for. If the donor can see that the school budget is mismanaged, why would they want to throw good money after bad?

I cannot believe how narrow minded the school board is. Do they really think that people will donate to help the board's being inept with school finances? Even if they get enough to deal with the shortfall this year, what happens the next year?! What donor in their right mind would continue to support a deficit?

Fundraising is always tough and is near impossible right now in Janesville. How can this fundraiser person get a bonus on the amount of money he or she can raise? This is unethical and not how these professionals work.

A foundation is actually a good idea. But this should be used to encourage alumni or other donors to contribute to help build various school programs and support things like scholarships or underwrite travel for the band, etc. This would be similiar to a community foundation situation. Money is given while people are living or people can leave a bequest to the foundation. Then each year, grant applications can be made and then funds or grants can be distributed. This works well for other school districts and the Janesville Community Foundation.

Wake up school board!

billnewbie
Jan 24, 2010 at 1:01 p.m.
Suggest removal Maybe they could put the teacher's union in charge of this campaign. They could use this slogan, "Great schools must have teachers that get great pay. Don't you want to help make great schools?". And, "The more we're paid, the better we teach so won't you help us teach better?" How about, " The I.Q. levels of our students goes up a point for every extra $1000 we get so how high an I.Q. do you want your children to have?". Maybe this too, "A well paid teacher is a happy teacher and happy teachers teach better, so help make us happy, won't you?". Of course, they can use those slogans for the upcoming push for a better contract whether they can raise any donations or not.
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How does a proposal from the superintendent/school board for fund raising turn into you bashing the union?
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Many items needed to provide an education are more expensive than decades ago. The union isn't the problem (unless $44,000 for 7 years experience and a Master's is too much).
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Perhaps this is a good proactive idea and the district deserves some credit. I believe Dr. Schulte and the board is doing a great job of looking at the future needs...setting something up so people who can give extra financial support can and those that can't or don't feel it is "worth while" don't need to. The alternative is higher taxes.
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While it is easy for the simple minded to see JSD and money in the same article and immediately take a cheap shot at the union...hopefully the majority of us, who can read, think and then react, see the proactive nature of this idea.

dale, the city allocating money to the school district makes no sense at all. They are funded to run their own programming... and I can see you disagree with how they do that. A governmental body cannot just allocate their funding authority to another governmental body. That circumvents statutory authority.
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Now, the city can certainly collaborate with the school district on municipal interests (road work, electrical services, water/sewer, etc.), but those are mutually beneficial services. The idea of the city allocating money to the school districts has significant accountability issues, and would cause more problems than it would help.

Maybe they could put the teacher's union in charge of this campaign. They could use this slogan, "Great schools must have teachers that get great pay. Don't you want to help make great schools?". And, "The more we're paid, the better we teach so won't you help us teach better?" How about, " The I.Q. levels of our students goes up a point for every extra $1000 we get so how high an I.Q. do you want your children to have?". Maybe this too, "A well paid teacher is a happy teacher and happy teachers teach better, so help make us happy, won't you?". Of course, they can use those slogans for the upcoming push for a better contract whether they can raise any donations or not.

dalegribble, the city does not fund the schools. They are separate taxing bodies under law.
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This is a great idea, because certainly there are people who would want to participate. It would be a while before the foundation would be able to fund significant activities, though, unless some underwriter were to step forward with seed money. In the long run the many graduates of our schools contributing small amounts will add up.
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Many public education institutions rely on foundations to supplement their budgets. The UW is funded partly by taxpayers, partly by tuition, and partly by grants, but the UW Foundation itself has assets of some $2 billion, and receives gifts of $200 million a year. Of course the majority of donors are alumni.
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I really hope to wake up one day and not hear the typical Janesville "this thing that I do not understand and have no experience with will never work" whine. It's a wonder we ever became a manufacturing center in the first place.

This will only take away donation dollars that could go to real charities in our community. I thought funding the school system is what my tax dollars were for.

How is this going to prevent a pay-to-play attitude? What is going to prevent a company from giving money so that they will be advertised or even a family to get preferential treatment for their members? There's reasons we want to fund our education system with public dollars.

Good luck with that. Count me out.

"Janesville public school officials hope that the kind of charitable giving that has sustained colleges and private schools will help them bridge budget gaps in the years ahead."
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Has anyone pointed out to the school officials that colleges and private schools receive charitable giving largely because people believe in the strength of those schools and what they offer (and because many aren't PUBLICLY FUNDED)?

JCena- We pay taxes to both the city council and the school districts. So I see where the others are coming from. THEY BOTH SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS FOOLISHLY!!!!!

Do you realize that the city and the school district are not run on the same budget? They are two different budgets run by two different governmental bodies - city council and school board.

How about the council pulls their head out of their rear ends and tells the ice arena people to stick it and put those millions of our money towards the schools instead.

Unbelievable, the city council wants to spend 2.5 million dollars on a unnecessary ice rink, meanwhile the schools have to hire a fundraiser for budget shortfalls? ARE YOU SERIOUS? whats wrong with this picture

With the increasing rate of childhood obesity, and sedentary lifestyles in some of our youth, I have an idea that I think makes sense.

Why don't we place a small fee on products with added sugar? Not fruit, or naturally sweetened products. I'm talking about soda, candy bars etc. If you added an extra fee to the cost of these unessential products, I feel every school district could offer more free programs to students which would benefit the pupil on many fronts. All monies generated from this fee would go directly into a school district fund. That way, you don't have to pay a middle man.

The added charge would be so little, most people would never notice it. To tax an unessential item for the greater good is something that should be debated. If you have any constructive feedback, please post it.