A time to take and a time to give back

Spectrum, by Larry DeVilbiss

King Solomon once said there is a time for most everything. In today's world, we've adapted that line of thinking by saying, "Timing is everything." Last year, timing was on the side of the Mat-Su teachers. In an effort to create a competitive salary and benefits package for more than 900 teachers, the Mat-Su Borough School Board awarded $3,000 across-the-board raises and significantly increased the district's contribution to employee health insurance. The total package, which resulted in a 10-percent increase in the district's costs, made our teachers the highest paid among their peers in other large school districts.

King Solomon I am not. But were he here, I believe he would say that now is not the time for more raises for teachers, let alone any group of staff members in Mat-Su schools. At its last meeting, the school board voted to ratify a new negotiated agreement with the Mat-Su Education Association (the union representing the district's teachers). The board also received details of more than $8 million in proposed cuts to our education programs and services. Approximately $3 million of these cuts are being made to accommodate the increases to salaries and benefits for teachers.

I voted against awarding more raises to teachers. As the school board's representative on the district's negotiating team, I listened at length to the union's concerns. I clearly heard all arguments presented to the arbitrator. None of those arguments were compelling enough to convince me that the district should hand out more than a hundred layoff notices with one hand, while at the same time give raises with the other.

Cumulatively, raises for teachers have been significant in recent years. Since 2002, each individual teacher has received an average salary increase of approximately $11,000. Meanwhile, our revenue is not keeping pace with these increased expenditures. Somehow, it seems disingenuous to lay the blame on Juneau for the gap in revenues and expenditures. In reality, does the problem lie closer to home? We are approving contracts that more than double the Anchorage cost-of-living index.

Over the past several years, I've visited many classrooms. I have come to appreciate the job our teachers are doing. My position on salary increases at this time doesn't diminish my admiration for their hard work. My position is rooted in our financial circumstances. I know most teachers would appreciate having fewer kids in each classroom. However, it's hard to lower class sizes when we're increasing our costs for salaries and benefits. In fact, increasing salaries accomplishes the opposite -- as our labor costs rise, we can afford to employ fewer teachers and support staff. The $3-million increase to salaries and benefits could also be used to lower staffing ratios throughout the district by two students. That would be good for both teachers and children.

During my tenure on the school board, two fundamental questions have tempered my every decision: "Is it sustainable?" and, "Is it good for kids?" In my belief, we are in serious danger of violating both concepts. In our temptation to blame our legislators for our community's problems, we should not forget to evaluate and scrutinize decisions being made closer to home.

In the end, it's not "us" versus "them." We're in this together. The only "side" we can afford to take is that of children. Therefore, the adults in the district must take collective responsibility for our fiscal challenges. With that in mind, I ask the teachers' union to follow the lead of the district's Central Office administrators. Please take a pay freeze. We should do all we can to minimize the negative impact of cuts to programs and services for students. In doing so, we can save learning opportunities for children, and jobs for adults. We, as an entire district, have the power to make a difference.

Larry DeVilbiss is a member of the Mat-Su Borough School Board.