Teaching longer, for less
When I started teaching we had the latest start around (Labor Day). Everyone else either started at Labor Day, or the week before.
When I started teaching, we had the latest end date around. Still do. June 27 or 28? Contract language says “except for the last two weekdays of June.” (little puzzle, what is the range of possible dates?)
When I started teaching we had by far the shortest workday in the area: 6 hours, 20 minutes.
Today, we have an average start, (Thursday before Labor Day), the latest end, and a 6 hour 50 minute day that is shorter than average, but in the pack.
And, oh yeah, we had the lowest salaries in the area, and we are still close to the bottom. You can find some suburban salaries on this blog, here, and I am trying to add more. (if you have access, send those links in!)
I’m glad we will no longer swap time for money. But we never should have started. I wish there were a way to undo this. There is not. We are past the era of shortening the workday, at least for now. And some in our union think doing away with contractually defined hours would be a good thing. But no. Defined hours allow us to plan our lives outside of work. We need to hold our ground with the hours and days we have, and seek, to the extent possible, to close the pay gap.
JD2718 
Where ar the Long Island and Westchester school district comparisons?????
Not only are the days getting longer and we are working more of them, we are expected to do much more in less time. We were told to check AVId reports, call homes, read IEP’s, learn new technology, get all tests graded within a 2 day time period, check homeworks, etc, etc on one prep period per day. Today’s meetings make me yearn for retirement. There is just so much that a person can take.
I need help finding Long Island and Westchester salaries. In the meantime, commenter Angela offered this document, with two year old Long Island salary data. Even two year old numbers look large.
PoT,
dramatic pronouncements about new procedures rarely convert into reality. Or am I wrong?
Pissed Off, I feel you. The demands seem to become greater with each new school year, and the salary does not even begin to compensate.
jd, re: the start of school: the public schools in my state begin the Wed. before Labor Day weekend. The school where I teach (it is an independent school) begins the Wed. after Labor Day.
BTW: There is a politician in my state who is petitioning for a post-
Labor Day start to the school year.
Does anybody know the pay scale for the following towns:
Kinnelon, NJ
Lake drive, NJ
Mountain Lakes, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
Thank you.
Search the NJ Public Employee Commission website. They have most public contracts. Most (but not all) of the contracts have the pay grid or salary scale in the body of the contract. Some, eg Fair Lawn, have the salaries in an appendix that is not included…
NJ PEC Public Sector Contracts