Local State Senator Advocates Cutting Teacher Salaries

During a week designated to celebrate teachers, many of those same teachers are dealing with talks of salary cuts to make up for budget shortfalls.

Not exactly paper hats and party favors.

With 7,000 students, the Glendora Unified School District is expecting $5 million in cuts and finalized 17 teacher layoffs during Monday's school board meeting. Reality creeps in further in the larger nearby Pomona Unified School District, which is facing a shortfall of about $25 million for the 2011-2012 school year.

While it may be a last resort, school boards around the state feel justified in asking teachers and other school personnel to take a pay cut.

Tuesday, at malls throughout California, teachers will set up stations where they will grade papers after school, to remind lawmakers and the public that their day does not end when the last bell rings. Teachers will be at Montclair Plaza, Victoria Gardens and Ontario Mills Tuesday.

The idea of cutting teacher salaries is echoed by Republican lawmakers, who say districts should cut teachers' salaries and benefits. Most local school boards disagree, yet they have used other methods – including furlough days – which reduce teachers’ incomes.

"Most of the school districts across the state have yet to see school employee salaries cut," said state Sen. Bob Huff, R-Walnut in a Contra Costa Times story. "They've cut libraries, field trips, art, but they haven't cut back teacher salaries. Why do they get a pass?"

Teachers and union officials counter that they are already taking financial hits in the form of furloughs, which are forced days off without pay, and other methods.

"When Sen. Huff talks about teachers needing to experience salary cuts, they have,” Glendora Unified board member Doris Blum said. “We're looking at more furlough days, teachers have lost jobs, and they're already paid less for the work they do. We're seeing more children in classrooms, we've increased workloads, teachers over the years have been asked to contribute more to their benefits.

“I think teachers have had their share of cuts."

Tyra Rose Weis, the president of the Associated Pomona Teachers Union, said pay cuts will not save jobs as policy makers often claim. Approximately 250 teachers in the Pomona district alone have received pink slips this year and could lose their job if finalized.

“Contrary to Mr. Huff’s theory, teachers have not gotten a pass. Districts have chosen to cut people,” Weis said. “Nothing ever comes off teacher’s plates. Once an expectation is there, nothing comes off and more gets piled on. The plate never has anything removed from it, it’s heaped on like being at a buffet.

“Teachers are at the breaking point. There are so many expectations and so little respect. Give us a break. It is overwhelming, especially in a week where we’re supposed to be celebrating teachers. No, we’re right in the same boat with everyone else.”

Glendora High School teacher Doug Granquist said salary cuts will undermine the future of the teaching profession.

He said teachers were asked to take off five furlough days last year. That is already a 3.3 percent salary cut, he said. Granquist is also one 17 Glendora Unified teachers to receive a pink slip this week.

"To take a pay cut is devaluing and it’s devaluing the profession," said Granquist, "Of my students who are graduating, they’re not looking at teaching as a noble profession. They’re not looking at education as something good and worthy to do because it’s been bashed so heavily in the media.".