Spectrum

Since both the Valley rag and the liberal excuse Anchorage calls a newspaper have seen fit to highlight the Mat-Su Teacher Union's "unfair practices" on their front page … allow me to bring you some additional information.

My son's teacher starts her day in her classroom between 7:30 and 8:00 -- depending on how long it takes to load the supplies she bought into the truck, and returns to her home between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Upon arrival, she will spend at a minimum one more hour grading papers or creating lesson plans. (God Bless her eight parent-helpers who donate 12 hours a week cutting, stapling, grading and reading … or it would be longer.) She takes Saturday "off" (doing seven days worth of household chores) … but goes to the school Sunday after church, and returns in time to cook dinner. All told, she spends an average of 55 hours working at the school each week … and will "donate" $3,000 each year on school supplies for her classroom.

She'll spend eight hours a day there for two weeks after her children are on summer vacation, and return two to three weeks ahead of them to get her room ready … long before and long after the district is paying her. If you're getting into education for the "three months paid vacation," you'll be sorely disappointed. All told, she will work 2,160 hours in her room alone during her school year -- and another 180 hours at home for the district. In her fourth year of teaching she'll be paid $41,000 before taxes and deductions. In an "hours-for-dollars" formula, she paid $64,000 for a bachelor's degree to earn $17 an hour … and now, thanks to "No Child Left Behind," she'll be tested every five years to see if she's "qualified," despite receiving excellent annual evaluations. (By the way, does anyone know any MD's, lawyers, accountants or judges who need to "re-qualify" to prove their worthy?) Overpaid? Not hardly. Most people (myself included) wouldn't last a day in a classroom, let alone deal with the contract BS that comes with it.

Her pay scale is $1,220.00 less than her counterpart in New York, almost dead even with Oklahoma and about $140 less than California. Now, just for fun, price a gallon milk and a head of lettuce in any of those states. How do we retain teachers of this caliber? I can't explain it. In short, she chose her profession because she loves it, not because she'd ever get rich doing it. The District squeals about "unfair bargaining" while they expect teachers to be happy with a three-year salary freeze and raise the percentage they must pay for insurance? (Try that with the United Auto Workers … or tell the Brotherhood of Electricians that they can't expect a raise any time in the next three years -- see what happens.) The MSSD has been tossing some numbers at the press, and they gobble them up like Bob Doyle and his crew are passing out caviar.

Here are some numbers taxpayers might be interested in too.

Bob's annual salary is a meager $148,000 per year … not counting the $3,000 merit pay he accepted in the very same year his organization chose to cut 20 teachers. On top of this, you're paying an Assistant Superintendent a petty $100,000 this year -- partially because Mr. Doyle is not "qualified to supervise." (Yeah, that's a quarter mil, on two people … and if they don't show up in the morning, do you think any kids notice)?

While they point out teachers' salaries as their major bugaboo here, they don't mention the "teachers" who don't have a classroom -- but work in administration positions. These positions "pad" the numbers -- giving the illusion that all the money going to "teachers' salaries" is in the classroom. Ask the borough for a cost-breakdown of special projects, vehicle purchases, and admin. building expenses. Ask why 20 teachers were cut in spite of the fact that the Mat-Su Schools have 700 new students … in a year when the district has been granted an additional $159 per student. Since things are so tight … ask Mr. Doyle or Mr. Troxel if they'll be expecting any pay raises, or paying a larger portion (or any portion) of their medical coverage in the next three years. Mr. Doyle used a neat 50 cent word in a recent meeting, justifying his decisions by stating that expenses were "nonlinear." When I could hire 6.5 new teachers for what I'm paying two administrators, I see some "non-linear" expenses too! By the way, do you know your child might be taught P.E. and music by someone who hasn't held a basketball for 20 years, and most likely can't read music or sing a note?

The fact is, your educators in this Valley are worth every penny they're paid, and their future contract expectations are anything but unfair. It never fails, each time contract time comes up, the same choir sings the same hymn. In fact, the same people who scream "budget cuts" have hired a lawyer you are paying for because the borough chose to only give teachers a one-year contract last year! My son's teacher just happens to be my wife … and few folks could ever understand how hard she works. The Mat-Su School district insults and discredits her and every teacher like her with what they call a contract offer. The district wonders why the teachers want a three-year contract? How often would anyone want to fight for the pay and benefits they already have? "Unfair Labor Practices"… whatever. Have the District's attorney call and tell me about it -- but please call Sunday between 8 and 10 a.m. when we have some time!

Donnie Allen lives in Palmer