DELAWARE WATCH
Every person who works for a paycheck should remember that they have a solemn obligation to their families and to themselves to do the very best that they can in terms of compensation and benefits, both today and across time. When we work for money, why would anyone expect that we would not work in MD, PA, or NJ, if those states pay more? Same regarding teachers and other state employees -- if you can do better elsewhere, by all means go right now and do it! Otherwise, be calm and accept the consequences of your decisions. For those who may be faced with a pay cut or involuntary unpaid time off, maybe you should rejoice that your position hasn't been eliminated.
I appreciate the unity but there will be cuts.There should be negotiation in Dover to prevent slowdowns in the classroom.
Please do not renegotiate your contract, you open one section you open them all.
Mike Protack
Mike,
The teachers are not engaging in a slowdown. They are fulfilling their contracts. They just won't do any extra work w/o compensation any more. Cut their pay and they cut out the freebies. What's wrong w/ that?
I've had two kids go through Delaware Public Schools, Milford, and both have received excellent educations thanks to hardworking teachers who go above and beyond their salary/contract obligations. Gov. Markell's idea to cut teachers' salaries is wrong. There are too many other areas in the State where money can be cut or fees increased; however, Education is not one of them. Teachers, State Workers, Police/Firemen, EMTs, none of these areas should be cut (In my opinion, their salaries should be increased.). Find the money somewhere else, Gov. Markell.
Where Marie? Its easy to say cut somewhere else, but where? We need solutions. If you want to be part of the solution then you should be reviewing the Delaware Health Security act, SB 120, which has 32 statewide organizations backing it. You should be reviewing the Del. Crime Prevention and Rehabilatation Act, does have a sponsor yet. You can see both acts at deinformedvoters.org.
If you really want to reform education, you should review the education page at deinformedvoters.org. Quality District Model for education is the answer. We dont need all the school districts and school boards...we need one in each county. We need volume purchasing of books and other materials. And we need to stop making teachers teach to a test that flunks children brands them as dumb, or disturbed, stop the medications when they are antsy and/or bored.
Give teachers the right to teach, put teaching back into the system, and end the horrific testing systems. There is so much more in the Quality District Model....that teachers if they read it, would understand it is most beneficial to them and their students.
"There should be negotiation in Dover to prevent slowdowns in the classroom."
Miguel: This is no threat of a work slowdown, now or later. Bell-to-Bell or "work to rule" is merely a demonstration of what it looks like to have teachers enter the workplace at starting time and leave at the end of the work day. That is all it is. It is a show of unity and solidarity. We are all still doing our day jobs--we are just not spending all of the extra time in the building that we give most other days. About 1/3 of the staff at my school comes in early many days. About 1/3 stays late many days. This is true in most schools.
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