Chris stunble right on past Loudoun and Fairfax. Last thing needed here is a outside opinion on our cost of living and our teacher salaries. The compensation for teachers in Loudoun is the equivalent of a Associate College Professor. Laugh I wish you world make me laugh once!

As an out of state teacher I randomly stumbled here and find the opinions interesting. I love your area and wanted to move down there (either Loudoun or Fairfax) and neither pay appropriate for such a high cost region. Teaching in Loudoun could never possibly be an option for me with your current pay structure. With the poor economy, you certainly won’t have a problem filling positions. That being said, when things improve, you most certainly will experience high turnover rates. You have fair paying districts (or fair for cost of living) in PA and MD. I think what you folks don’t realize is that…you’re not a rural area anymore. When your county was undeveloped and cheaper to live in, lower salaries were just fine. You’re not farms anymore. Loudoun County is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, and part of a newly booming metropolitan area. You can’t continue to pay rural salaries in that type of environment. I think you folks in Loudoun need to pull your heads out of the sand. You need to acknowledge that your region has changed, and your teacher salaries need to reflect that fact. I’d love to teach in Loudoun…but I don’t see how I could afford to even try with that pay scale.

Fire all of them and start over with hungry innovative energetic teachers who understand the newest technology!

How is it that Channel 9 news picks up the story about Loudoun Cunty Public Schools having a lawsuit filed against them, and our own local papers have not?  Is Hattrick worried that his salary is on the chopping block and wants the board to vote before they figure out how and why our boundaries were really done?

@Dimwit - Perhaps you and a few other armchair quarterbacks on here should walk a mile in a teacher AND a bus drivers’s shoes.  As far as I know, no one is breaking down doors to compete for these (THANKLESS) jobs.  They deserve every damn dime they make.

Another half-assed COLA???  Give us a STEP RAISE!!

Federal workers are not underpaid.  Everyone around here is grade inflated.  There are offices full of GS13-15s here making $89k and up.  Job security, good benefits, and the new hires still have more than competitive retirement plans.  Toss in the folks who are counting down the years to their CSRS retirement benefits, and we shouldn’t be crying for them one bit. 

Loudoun teachers and VA state employees are a different story, but don’t group DC area feds in there.

Interesting statics have been revealed from the new SB asking the right questions: There are 218 LCPS employees making over 100K/year. 195 of them are administration. If the teachers want to complain about who is making the big money, perhaps they ought to start by asking some very serious questions concerning their hierarchy.

Some of the crying on here about the downtrodden, over worked and exasperated teachers is pathetic. If you want to make more money work in the summer to supplement your income, but don’t demand that the tax payer be your advocate when most public servant would give their right arms to have your schedule and pay. Who else gets 10 weeks off in the summer, and every weekend, major holiday, Xmas break, Spring break and snow days off? No one.

All this discussions has highlighted is how the top 1 percent has corrupted this country so much you have a bunch of overpaid peasants whether they are Federal Workers, State employees, private sector or County employees fighting over who deserves a little 3% raise or who works harder while the income disparity between the elite rich who move our jobs and tax dollars around like pieces on a chess board growswider fomr the average American.  Keep arguing and fighting over the crums you idiots instead to working to take back control of your economy and political system from the super rich.  Don’t believe me, go try to see your Congressman, Mr. wolf, none of you bums can get in, but, let the owners of AOL ask for meeting DONE.  Fools all of you.

Remember this:  Teachers, don’t expect a real pay raise.  Why?  Ken “I Lie” Reid is going to make sure that the real pay raise goes to his wife, who is a County of Loudoun employee.  Why is it that Ken “I Lie” Reid thinks its ok to pad his pocket on my tax dollars?

Remember last year when the LEA called on all teachers to “work to the rule” and walk out of school after their contractually mandated 7 hour day was up?

If teachers want a raise, they should help the new Board eliminate the waste at LCPS instead of just taking about it in private.

Thanks for the clarification on the union or lack thereof.  i think Dedicated hit the nail on the head. Some teachers work very hard and are worth much more than they are curently paid. I kow - I’ve seen it first hand.  However, there are many that just do the bare minium required by their contract. It’s a shame there is no way to differentiate compensation. Thank you, LEA.

@don’t be ignorant, get your facts straight first:

Did you miss the part of my post where I stated that I neither agreed or disagreed with the proposed solutions?  My assessment was of Loudoun Resident’s approach (identify problem - propose solutions), not of the school system.  Yikes.

@FedBasher,

Here is a news alert for you.  Federal jobs are disappearing pronto.  Also contracting support for Federal agencies, especially DOD, is being drastically cut.  Perhaps Loudoun is Disneyland where those facts don’t have consequences.  But, if not, this county will have to deal with reduced tax revenues and higher unemployment.  Giving teachers a 3% raise that no one else is getting is not the answer.  I don’t care how much they make.  If they think they are underpaid then they can do what I do, which is vote with my feet.  Personally, I am against these raises as well as the whole monstrous LCPS budget request.  The days of gold-plated schools are over.

Seriously?,

What is BMA testing? (sorry, no kids in school so I don’t keep up with some of this)

Dear You decide….I agree that being compensated for only seven hours a day is unfair. Unfortunately, I think all the most teachers can hope for is a COLA. The county would never be able to foot the bill for the number of hours and days we put in over and above contract. I work over 65 hours a week, every week that school is in session. I also put in hours on ‘breaks’.  Even a teacher who does the bare minimum must work over contract time due to all the work that can only be done after the kids leave and the meetings that occur before and after school. Most teachers I know and work with go waayyy over. I am not alone in the time I put in and with 3 kids of my own at home, it isn’t easy. But I’m crazy to think I’d actually be compensated for it. I love the kids and choose to stay. I guess that’s my bad.

Every teacher should prove they’ve earned their 3% by way of metrics to be judged against.  Just a blanket 3% for all workers means even the ones who suck and should be fired are getting a pay raise.

You decide…

“what the union contract requires and the union requires everyone be treated exactly the same irrespective of job performance.”

Virginia is a right to work state, no teacher union

We parents appreciate the hard work some of our teachers do. However, I am getting a little tired of hearing about their paupers’ wage scale.  Let’s look at a couple of facts about teacher compensation. New teachers start at about $44,000 a year.  They are contractually required to work 197 days at a maximum of 7 hours a day. (see LCPS website)  Most non-government salaried employees work 240 days a year and can’t get away with 7 hours a day.  The diffential in # of days alone is about 20% making a first year teaching job comparable to a $55,000 starting salary at a job that does not follow an academic calendar. Add in full healthcare and one of the most generous retirement plans around.  I understand that there are teachers who work more than 7 hours a day but that’s what the union contract requires and the union requires everyone be treated exactly the same irrespective of job performance.  Who thinks this is a unfair or below market level of compensation?

Federal workers underpaid? LOL
I saw a job posting on USAJobs.gov a few months for a LIBRARIAN. Salary range: 70k-96k

Damn! I want to be a librarian.

Dear No Raise – you stated “IT amazes me how much the teachers are handed in this county.” In which you are absolutely correct. In the past 2 weeks here are just some “things” I’ve been handed – BMA testing, analyzing results, progression scales, report cards, narrative comments, universal screenings, weekly probes, and common assessment. All of those times 25 (the number of students in my class). This is all on top of my daily lesson plans and just the general ins and outs of a day in the classroom. As a teacher I realize I signed up for this job, what I didn’t realize was all that negativity and bashing one would undergo when asking for compensation. Would you be happy in a job where you haven’t received a raise in 3 years yet the demands have not slowed down? If you can honestly say yes then perhaps you should reevaluate your career.
Anyone with half a brain would be able to read these comments here and be able to separate the teachers from non-teachers. Half of the arguments allude to the fact that we get 2 weeks off in summer, spring break, paid holidays, yada yada yada. If a teacher teaches for those reasons then they too should reevaluate their career path. Anyone that has any desire to make it, provide for their family, and not spread their paycheck as thin as it goes would also be fighting for salary. Am I “lucky” to have a job? No. I work hard and that hard work keeps me at my job. How many people have no job and no desire or drive to get one when they can sit at home on OUR dime with unemployment. Now that’s what I call a paid holiday.

@bizzy and Loudoun Resident

A good start would be addressing actual facts, rather than opinions on what you think is happening in this school system.  You are way off-base with your assessment.

@Allen,

You work for the federal govt, if you want to talk about people that are overpaid take a look around and see how many GS-13’s - GS-15’s are collecting 90k+ where you are and in the entire federal government.

If you are crying over not getting a raise look at what you make compared to a teacher.  Keep scamming the tax payer.  Federal workers are some of the laziest people I’ve ever met all they do is blame contractors for everything.

@Loudoun Resident:  this website (and the world in general) would be a better place if more people do what you did - identify the problem AND propose a reasonable solution.  Not saying I agree or disagree with your proposed fixes - I just think it’s refreshing when people go a step beyond griping about a problem.

Light guy- forgot to factor in retirement / pension.  It’s why many choose to work for, or remain working in a govt job.  And, a huge add to compensation, no?

$86 Million dollar increase, that will allow Hatrick to “find” about $20 Million at the end of the year.  Except this year it will be used for iPads instead of white boards.  Disgusting.

$36 Million cost requirement is a complete sham!  That was the retirement deferred payment they counted last year as a “budget cut”.

School Board and Board of Supervisors, wake up, pay attention, and don’t be lead by the nose by Hatrick as the previous Board was.  Use your brains, think independently.  We will thank you, and our children will too!

Performance based salaries.  Last time I checked, an architect doesn’t get paid based on how the printer prints out his blue prints.  The pilot doesn’t get paid based on how well the flight attendents perform on the flight.  The president doesn’t get paid based on the employment rate.  So tell me again why a teacher should be paid based on the performance of her students?  There are many students and families in Loudoun County who do not consider education important, as a result a teacher’s salary should not be based on the beliefs and effort from home.

Again, simple truth.  Ken “I Lie” Reid gets to vote to put money in his pocket.  Wife, Loudoun County employee.  Ken Reid, Supervisor on Loudoun County Board of Supervisor.  Budget, voted on by Ken Reid.  Money from our taxes, in the pocket of Mr. and Mrs. Reid.  Amazing, isn’t it.

You know, there’s pluses and minuses to being a public employee- whether it’s teacher, government or whatever. 

Benefits are usually a LITTLE bit better.  Though when you compare them to similarly skilled jobs in the private sector (I’m not talking wal-mart, I’m talking 40-50+ hour jobs that require a high education level and advanced degrees)they aren’t that much better. 

Vacation is usually better.  Depending on where you work you probably get most state or federal holidays off and, if your not a teacher, at least a couple weeks of paid vacation.  Teachers kind of get a bum-rap though with the whole 3 months off.  Because while they do get nice long holidays during the school year and about 2 months off in the summer (not 3), none of that is at times of their choosing AND THEY DON"T GET PAID VACATION.  I think in Loudoun they get 3 days of “Personal” time per year and there’s restrictions on when you can use it.  So the lack of vacation off-sets a sizable amount of the other vacation they do get.  Plus, by law, they have to take college classes to maintain their state teaching license- and that usually happens in the summer.

But pay- there’s the kicker.  While the pay is usually OK, I’ve never personally seen a case where a rank and file government employee in a skilled white collar position was making more than someone doing the same kind of job in the private sector.  These studies people pull out saying government employee’s make more than people in the private sector just drive me nuts.  Of-course government employee’s make more when the study is comparing them to every other job in the private sector.  Wal-mart alone has more than a million employee’s that make at or near minimum wage. You can’t use a study that includes 10’s of millions of minimum wage jobs to compare to jobs that require a minimum of an advanced degree. There’s noting similar about those kinds of jobs.  When compared to like jobs, government employee’s make less.  Period.  That’s proven.  Don’t believe me, look it up on OMB’s website or from any other non-biases source.

But here’s what gets me.  Then the economy is bad everyone likes to bash government employee’s about getting paid to much or raises or wherever makes them feel better.  But when the economy is humming along and people in the private sector are getting pay raises and stock options and huge bonuses, what do you think government employee’s are getting?  If lucky, maybe an extra 1% or 2% pay raise.  There’s no such thing as stock options or bonuses or even asking for a pay raise in most governments.

Lets start with these cuts:
-Superintendents extra pension.  All county employees receive VRS retirement. The amount paid out is based on the last 3 years base salary. Why should we pay an extra pension for the superintendant.
-Admin staff is top heavy. There is a back log at the admin building of administrators. The older principles that were promoted into positions that they know little about (i.e. land acquisition, school construction, building maintenance, transportation, and technology) should be forced to retire. Bring in people who have the expertise in these fields and stop promoting your buddies at the top of the scale who are not ready to retire.
-Cut in admin staff. There seems to be an administrator for everything at the admin building in Ashburn. Do we really need to be paying two administrators to walk the buildings to tell people to turn the lights off?  That’s just one example.
-Get the retired county employees off the payroll. Stop brining back retired personnel as consultants or to fill in for people missing time. We are paying these people top of the scale money to come back and contribute little.  I’m sure in this economy you can find suitable people to fill in and not be paid at the top of the scale.
-Personnel Dept needs to stop traveling to places to find new teachers. There should be a vast pool of people wanting to teach or looking for jobs in this economy.  There is no need to send them on trips all over the United States. Also the advertisements in movie theaters in Fairfax that say come teach for Loudoun can’t be cheap.
-Cut back on the swag! Stop spending money on designer shirts with the LCPS logo on them. I see a lot of the admin staff at the Admin building and at the schools wearing these.  I know the schools are allotted a certain amount of money to spend as they like.  How much are the professional murals costing to be painted on the walls at these schools? I’m pretty sure $10k is on the low side for the ones in the gyms. Have your art dept do them for free.  Cut back on the slush fund given to schools.
-Lower the amount of fleet vehicles. Seems like every person at the Admin building has their own county vehicle.  Some are truly a need but some could probably share or not have them at all. We pay Dr. Hatrick a car stipend but yet he drives a county car and uses county gas.  I’m sure there are others that don’t use their cars but to go out and get lunch.  Drive by the back lot at the admin building and take a look at the amount of county vehicles that are there just sitting.
- Tahoe’s at every high school? I’ve noticed that every high school has a newer Tahoe to “tow the band trailer”.  I’ve seen principals driving these vehicles home from time to time. Especially at the new Purceville HS.  What happened to putting this equipment on the bus with the student? Im sure gas millage isn’t good on those and they sit more than 3 quarters of the year while marching band is not in session.
-Dept chairs teaching one class a day? Yes Department chairs have extra duties but to have a full time teacher getting paid to teach one class per day is not acceptable.  They are paid extra to be a dept chair and should have to teach more than one class.
-Deans. The amount of Deans in the school how gotten out of hand. Each middle school has three principals and 3 deans. Why the redundancy. Maybe we could add a 3rd asst principal and stop paying 3 deans. Have one asst. principal per grade instead of dean. Also why are there Special Ed deans at some schools? Are these children that much of a problem that they need their own deans? The admin stuff should be handled by the dept chair in special ed.
- Foreign language at the elementary schools? I know from having children go through the LCPS system that the special ed programs at the elementary level is a waste. The kids do not retain what little they are being taught. This is a nice perk but a failed and unnecessary program.
These are only some of the place I have seen where cuts can be made. I am in favor of raises for teachers but not across the board. I think there should be a cut off after a certain level on the salary scale. I hope someone on the school board looks at this and decides to take a closer look into the way the money is spent.

Let’s be clear on AP tests—
AP tests SHOULD BE fee based, but SHOULD NOT be tied to the GPA. 

Why?? 
Susie and John both earn an ‘A’ in an AP class.  This is a 4.0 for Susie and John. :)

Now, Susie PAID to take the optional AP test.  Susie failed it (score a 1).  The test score does not impact Susie’s grade - and she still gets an A in class. :)

John did not pay to take the test (no money).  He still gets an A in the class.  :)

BUT… even though Susie and John earned the SAME grade, Susie gets a 4.5($$) and John gets a 4.0 (no$$). 

The TEST HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COURSE WORK or GRADE.  The tie between the AP test and the GPA should be cut.  The test is optional, should be fee based, and should only impact college credits (as designed).  (Think.. SAT test.)

I think that the teachers deserve to get a payraise… but it should be the same amount that the federal employees are scheduled to get which is a 0.5% ...

How about teachers get a raise when I get one?  Since I haven’t had a raise in almost three years, with no raise on the horizon, I recommend they get comfortable with the pay they have.  And I work for the Federal Government!

IT amazes me how much the teachers are handed in this county. Maybe they should talk to their fellow teachers to the north who are fighting just to keep there jobs. Spoiled wrotten. They should be glad to have what they are getting now. What is LCPS going to do when the money well goes dry and they actually have to make cuts? It also amazes me how other county employees fight to get one raise in 3 - 4 years and the school teachers get one every year.

If teachers “need” a 3% raise, then fire 3% of the teachers and give the rest their raise.

Sounds like a conspracy to me

I am amused by all the people on here crying that teachers have it so great. If they have it so great why don’t you give it a shot and then try complaining.  Oh and the well I work for the private sector and if I asked for a raise I would be looking for a new job.  Well maybe that is because you are not worth anything to your company and they just see you as sucking them dry so they take advantage and show you the door. Sounds like that is your problem. The teachers have not received a raise in three years, they have every right to ask for one, if you are not willing to do the same for yourself in that type of situation stand up and get a pair. If I worked in a position where I did not get a raise in three years I would be looking for a new job, and I for sure would be asking for one at the same time.  And no, I would not have the attitude of, oh I am just so happy to have a job right now, so I am going to keep my mouth shut. I have a job because I work freaking hard and I prove my worth to my company.

With all that being said, I do agree with the point of, the raises should be based on performance, not just across the board. You can still budget for raises in that manner as well, vs. using an across the board system. These teachers get performance appraisals and their raises should be based on that.

Ok, for you “fiscal conservatives” think about this:  While you complain about teachers getting paid, Ken “I Lie” Reid will be voting on the County budget that gives money to Ken “I Lie” Reid’s wife, a county employee.  That’s right!  Ken “What’s a Conflict of Interest?” Reid votes on putting money in his wife’s (I presume she will share) pocket and therefore Ken “I Lie” Reid’s pocket.  Great deal, right?

The budget can be cut AND the teachers can get raises.  Yes.. it’s possible if the School Board will take the time and effort to wade though the proposed budget and trim the waste.  (I’ll restate .. $1600 for EACH computer is a poorly negotiated price.. waste!)

Teachers and taxpayers alike should want the budget closely scrutinized in order to improve efficiency and put the money where it’s truly needed.

LC teachers are well taken care of. Both my parents worked in the system for 30+ years, retired and now do pretty much nothing most of the time, and they get a check every month. Salary is just one aspect of a teacher’s total compensation. Teachers also get great benefits, paid holidays,etc. I’m not minimizing the hard work that our teachers do, but any job is hard work. My husband earns $60K and we pay for our own health insurance. I’m not complaining. He loves what he does, and we just make do with what God has given us.  So to all the teachers complaining about their salaries, yes, your work is hard and we appreciate your time in teaching our children, however, just be grateful that you even have a job—- a job that provides many great benefits in addition to your salary.

LCPS Parent,

Actually you are not correct. The average superintendent salary is just a hair over $150k.

Fairfax county has a 2.4B budget, that is nearly 3x our PROPOSED budget, with over 3x the number of students (top 15 largest school system in the county) makes the SAME as Hatrick. So are we getting ripped off or does Fairfax simply have a better BoS and SB than we do?

FUND the budget, but reduce the administration costs and give it to the teachers.

$42k as a teacher is not bad. Loudoun County gives Affordable Dwelling Units to public servants like teachers, police officers, firefighters, etc. (i.e. they pay $100k for a $300k home).

With drastically lower housing costs, the public servants on my street have way more disposable income than schmucks like me who pay full price.

Criticality2013 -  The grid shutting down won’t make nuke plants go critical.  But it will wreck havoc on the nation. What is really critical is that we all live 72/hours away from Anarchy.  Because if the food stops reaching the grocery stores, anarchy isn’t far behind as hungry people (who once used to be civilized) go on a rampage to feed themselves.  If it comes down to my neighbors vs. my family, guess what? We will survive at all costs. The weak better think about arming themselves.

A solar flare from the sun in the near future (late 2012/early 2013) will cause massive and world wide power outages.  The electrical grid is a complex interconnected system that is susceptible to failure just like the moral hazard that took out MF Global and Lehmans.  It’s the next black swan that everyone is missing.  What will you do when 100’s of nuclear power plants go critical after their backup generators fail like Fukushima?

LCPS Parent. I thought the only requirement for school transportation was for special ed students.I see no reason why parents shouldn’t pay a reasonable fee not to exceed the pro rata share of the cost of the transpotation. Special ed students and low income families exempted naturally. Can you help me find that Virginia requirement?

Yo Laugh who is the great conspiritor since you know so much about them? You pays number 2 monies and you get number 14 results. No raise, more of like what Reagan did with the air traffic controllers.

Here we go again….teachers do NOT get paid on the student breaks. Most DONT stay…quite the opposite. Over half of the teachers hired today will leave within 5 years (general education)and 3 years (apecial eduation).

I think the teachers are very well paid in this county.  They have an excellent benefits package, 2 weeks off at Christmas, one week spring break and a full 2 months in the summer.  If they want to give all that up and go into the private sector, let them.  Most stay because they know how good they have it.  As for the fees, students get the weighted GPA with or without the tests, those results don’t factor in to their average.  They do however receive college credit if they score high enough.  Why should we be paying for that also??  I am so sick of watching Ed Hatrick

Teachers need to stop complaining they are very fairly compensated for their job.  I am sorry but a first year teacher starting at about 42-43k is a great starting salary!  Somebody said how teachers cannot afford to live in Loudoun, but most people do not live where they work.  I work in DC and live in Ashburn because I can use the public schools and housing is much cheaper.  I work in the private sector so I do not get all the breaks teachers get, yes I make a very nice income, but I do not get 2.5-3 months off for summer or guaranteed time off at certain holidays.  I leave for work at about 7.30 am and get home around 7.15 pm.  When we get a little snow I do not get to stay in bed and watch television I get up and drive into DC.  I also cannot understand why everybody is going on about what Dr. Hatrick makes he is the superintendent, that is the normal salary of a superintendent.

The school fees are great!  I believe they are fair because if you want to take AP tests you should pay, you do not need them to graduate!  If you want to play a sport you should pay, sports are not necessary to get educated!  Do you not like paying to park, ride the school bus(I believe under VA law transportation is required to/from school if you are more then a certain distance from the school)!

Also to the lady who has to pay 400 for her son’s AP tests, if you do not want to pay do not take the class or do not take the tests.  The students are not paying for a grade they are paying for the possible college credit.(I know they do get a GPA boast, but that is just a benefit for taking the test.  You do not get the bump up if you just pay and do not go to the test.  It is like the benefit of me paying for my life insurance is that my children and wife will be taken care of, I do not have to but I decide too.)  THE AP TESTS ARE OPTIONAL!!

IF YOU CAN READ THIS….
Teaching is not an easy profession.  Teachers are underpaid for the most of their careers, frequently must take second jobs to support their families, and in Loudoun County, often must commute in from Winchester or West Virginia because they can’t afford to live where they teach.

They have tolerated disrespect from corporate interests who would like to privatize America’s education system for their own profit, and from local politicians who must criticize what they can’t control.  In Virginia, the state law forbids teachers from organizing a union.

But they show a dedication and professionalism that results in a superior education for the children of Loudoun.  They do this year after year, in spite of budget cuts, overcrowded buildings and classrooms, and low pay.

And when they ask for a raise, it is characterized as a DEMAND.  Perhaps they DESERVE praise, respect and just maybe, a raise!

...THANK A TEACHER!

Yet when they ask for a raise, they are criticized
and belittled.

@jq3333

Well, there are exactly two Wal Mart general mangers in Loudoun County and 5000+ teachers.  Not a comparable skill set or job function.  Plus Wal Mart managers do not get to retire at age 52 with a full pension, full health care coverage, union work rules, 3 months vacation and job security. I would argue that the Wal Mart manager is underpaid but their pay is determined by the market. Now get back to your union-mandated 7 1/2 hour workday. (I guarantee you a Wal Mart store manager has never worked a 7 1/2 hour workday!)

Sorry Suzanne, but if your kid scores high enough on his tests and goes to a college that accepts them as college credit the public has just paid for your kid’s college and I don’t want to do that.  Every choice has it’s advantages and disadvantages.  You make the choice to take an AP class and want the bump in the GPA then you pay for the test.  Your kid can still take the AP class and not take the test….it’s not like he’s not getting any high school credit at all. 

Livingin VA…I think you have a great idea, but only reimburse for those who score a 5.

This is the wealthiest county in America. Is there really an issue with the price of an exam?  PuhLez!!

ed myers said: “Students get a bonus GPA if they pay for the exams. A student with a B in a class gets a 3.0 but the student that pays the $75 fee and passes the exam gets a 4.0 with the same grade. That is unfair. Students shouldn’t be able to buy grades. However, schools should not coerce kids to take the exams solely to boost the school’s Challenge Index (tm) score without paying for the tests.”

I think we need to discourage kids who aren’t going to take the class seriously from taking AP classes.  Let’s give them the GPA bump ONLY if they get at least a 3 on the exam. And, if they score a 4 or 5, they get reimbursed.

It’s funny that Wal-Mart was mentioned. I recently read an article that said the average salary for a Wal-Mart manager is $83,000 per year. I’ve been teaching for 15 years and earn $59,735. What do I do with my three-month vacation? Actually it’s two months and I take graduate classes I need to maintain my teaching certificate, on my own dime I might add, and I wait tables. Thank you Dr. Hatrick for proposing a budget that includes a decent pay increase for teachers. Let’s hope it sticks.

Must be nice to demand a pay increase and have the money flow straight from the wallets of the citizens who live in the County.  Out here in the real world, pay raises don’t exist unless your company starts bringing in more money. With the economy, we are lucky to be employed.

School teachers and many county employees may be underpaid by some standards but, retirement and healthcare more than make up for it. $36 million in catch up contributions? Let’s look at took at total compensation as compared to private sector.

Don’t you love the made up stories from the downtrodden workers, who scream that the teachers are paid too much, who scream their kids aren’t getting a good education, who scream that their lives are rotten.  All lies, because they are all the same person posting under made up names.  There is usually one or two people who think they can fool the public, but they can’t.  Bottom line.  Teachers are the front lines, and they deserve to be paid what they are due.  The one complainer here:  If you don’t want to pay taxes, stop using public services.  Don’t walk on public streets, drive on public roads, drink public water, expect public paid pickup of your trash, don’t call the police, or fire, or rescue if there is a problem.  Just stay in your home, in the dark.

In today’s economy, job security is very underrated.  Teachers, while generally underpaid for the valuable service they provide our children, have job security.  Those of us in the private sector, even gov’t employees, go to work worrying if some disaster will turn our financial world upside down.

Don’t take your job security for granted!

I got a 40% pay cut starting 1/1/12.  My other half has had his pay frozen for the past 2 years.  We’re just happy to have jobs in this economy…

If I am not mistaken, Hatrick is the highest paid County Employee @ a cool $250+K/yr. $232680 in salary, $25K towards annuity and $11,378.80 in car allowance. Yes Hatrick, a supposed educator, is the 1%.

Meanwhile the average LCPS starting teacher salary is $42539.

Hatrick is giving himself a $6980.40 raise and the young teachers a $1276.17 raise. Seems equitable no? I mean how is a guy suppose to live on $948/mo for car expenses?

5 of Hatrick’s top paid employees make $643649 combined, average of $128729.80. They get a nice raise of $3861.89 on average.

That is $912627.80/yr and $27378.83 in raises an non of them are actual teachers.

*These numbers based on 2010 data.

I also demanded a pay raise last year.  Still looking for a new job….

Hmmmm…..why should LCPS employees get a COLA when the County has cut that pay increase for regular County employees? If Hatrick wants the COLA, let it come out of his high $ salary.

My company surveyed the employees also. 100% of the respondents demanded a salary increase.  Some refused the market-based proposal the company offered. They are now working at Wal Mart full time (no 3 month vacation) for half the money.

Gee, what a surprise…parents support raises for the teachers.  Show a parent something they think might benefit their kids and make sure that everyone else has to pay for their kid…and they drool while waiting to vote for it. 

If your kid wants to play sports, YOU pay for it.  Nobody else gives a flip if Johnny can play football.  Have your kid earn the money washing cars, mowing lawns, shoveling snow. 

Schools need to cut the hobby and fluff classes.  Dance, Video Production etc.  None of these are “necessary” classes.  These are hobbies, let the parent pay for their kid’s hobby, not the stuck taxpayer with higher and higher property taxes due to selfish parents mewing for more money “for the childrun”

Test the teachers, judge them on their ability, education and knowledge of the classes they claim to teach.  Poor quality and under-educated teachers deserve a low salary.  Of course, unions despise and foam at the thought of testing/rating teachers and having them earn their salaries.

Let the parents fund the school bus system at a cost of $811 dollars a student . Give the teachers a raise out of that savings to the taxpayer. Public schools are the biggest ripoff next to the federal government.

I had to pay for my own AP tests when I was in high school and I still turned out okay.

Give the teachers a raise and cut Hatrick’s salary.

Taxpayers demand a paycut…

Students get a bonus GPA if they pay for the exams. A student with a B in a class gets a 3.0 but the student that pays the $75 fee and passes the exam gets a 4.0 with the same grade. That is unfair. Students shouldn’t be able to buy grades.

I agree that college-bound students should pay the fees themselves. However, schools should not coerce kids to take the exams solely to boost the school’s Challenge Index (tm) score without paying for the tests.

Any school activity that is not open to all students (e.g. sports and clubs that require a tryout and potential rejection) should not be funded with taxpayer dollars.

LEA endorsed Scott York.  Now he is going to cut the budget so they don’t get their increase.  HA, HA!

Teachers should be judged on an “individual” basis. Mainly the GPA of the students they’ve been teaching. From that, their salaries can be increased for the good ones and decreases for the useless employees just collecting a paycheck and leaving our children to suffer.

I’m all for teacher salary increases on top of COLA.  I believe they can find savings in other areas.

I’m not for the schools paying for AP test fees and sports / club fees.  Those are optional activities (please correct me if taking AP tests are mandatory if you take the class) and the tax payers should not have to foot the bill.  You pay for your children to play youth sports in town or travel leagues, you pay for college courses for your children (they get college credit if they acheive high enough scores on AP tests), so why should these activities be paid for by the tax payers during kids high school years?

If anything, eliminate the student parking fee, but I really don’t mind that either as a way to raise funds for the school.  And for the record, my child plays multiple high school sports and will most likely take AP tests.  He will have a job and pay his own parking fee.  I’m not mommy big bucks paying his way through life, nor am I rolling in dough.  I just support paying for my fair share towards optional activities.