Non-Union Education Raises Shot Down

Woonsocket Education Department Director of Administration and Finance, Stacey Busby, deserves a raise.

This fact alone was agreed upon by committee members, concerned parents, teachers and Superintendent Robert Gerardi at Wednesday night's School Committee meeting. Coming into an education department on the verge of complete fiscal melt-down, her long hours spent balancing the budget and getting WED's financial house in order is almost universally acknowledged as an achievement to be appreciated.

What the department cannot agree on is when and how to give it to her and other underpaid administrators in the Woonsocket school district.

"I've heard one too many times that Woonsocket just can't afford to give administrators more money," said Gerardi to a crowd of fifty plus parents, students and educational staff. "Last week I received resignation letters from two of our extremely valued Woonsocket administrators and they took lateral positions. Woonsocket's no longer providing competitive salaries in its own state and region." 

Gerardi delivered his own resignation last month to take a position in Maynard, MA.

The Superintendent stood alone as an advocate for an immediate raise for principals, assistant principals, instructional leaders, info tech specialists and other administrative personnel. These employees, Gerardi asserted, have been shorted for nearly a decade, taking no raises for the past four to five years and far fewer pay increases than they should have in the previous four to five.

Jeffrey Partington, appearing before the committee for the first time as new president of the Woonsocket Teacher's Guild voiced strong objections to the proposal.

"We've foregone raises for five years and lost almost 100 of our members with budget related cuts for positions directly servicing the needs of the students of Woonsocket," said Partington of the Guild. "I submit to you that the approval of these raises will upset a balance that currently exists in the workforce where everyone has been asked to dig a little deeper and make sacrifice to keep this education department solid and to service the students of Woonsocket to the best of our ability on a shoestring."

Parents and teachers alike took the podium to advocate for programs and positions which should be restored before handing out non-union raises.  Recent cuts from the high school next year remained a source of conflict.

John McLaughlin, a former teacher in Woonsocket, praised Busby in particular while expressing shock at the idea of administrative raises.

"What you do tonight when you pass a raise for administrators is send a message to every single person in this community that you have not been honest about the financial situation," said McLaughlin.

Gerardi proposed that the salary increases could be funded through consolidation of staff and a small surplus in department funds. His initial proposal called for $121,796 in salary adjustments but he began his presentation by stating the department was able to consolidate for less than he'd hoped, leaving funding for only six raises: Special Education Director, Director of Administration and Finance, Director of Technology, Superintendent Secretary, Assistant Superintendent Secretary and Assistant Special Education Director. For Busby, Gerardi recommended a raise of $20,000.

"She works days, nights and weekends and is making $20,000 less than her peers," he said. "I know that this is a difficult topic to discuss with all the cuts that have happened this year, but this is about doing what is right."

The School Committee unanimously shot down the proposal.

"Our unions were very generous and because of their help and their concessions, we saved the district $6 million over a three year contract," said Dubois, stating that the raises would send the wrong message.

Committeewomen Eleanor Nadeau and Linda Majewski said they would be willing to consider the raises once the department received confirmation of funding from the city and state, and could ascertain the department's pension contributions.

 "I think Dr. Gerardi had an obligation as superintendent, to bring to our attention that we are no longer competitive in our local area for salaries," said Majewski. "We will become a stepping stone community where people will come for three years, get some experience under their belt, and go somewhere else."

Committeewoman Anita McGuire-Forcier, however, took a hard line on the issue. "I will not be supporting any raises going out in this community - not this year, pretty much not next year... I don't know if I see a light in the next five years the way the State of Rhode Island is going. What I would be willing to consider is giving the principals the respect they need by giving them contracts," she said to loud applause.

"As far as administration, there is no money for raises."