Concerns brew over proposed reduced class time in Beaverton schools

Very frustrating - Almost wish we hadn't moved here from Texas.. The kids seem to be off all the time, there are over 30 kids in the class,  and now, the school day is being shortened.. None of this portends well.

I am frustrated at this report.  It is missing  key details, including the ones that follow (these, by the way, were shared with parents who had questions at the early parent teacher conferences--they are from the district and not rumor).

 

  If the plan the district and the union have put forward is acted upon,  the 4 remaining days of school will be lengthened by 15-20 minutes.  Students are not going to miss 90 minutes of class each week.

 

Most of the surrounding school districts in our area--Hillsboro, Canby, Portland, Forest Grove--and other large ones like Eugene, have been doing this for some time.  The report also does not mention that most of the collaboration that will be done helps us cover data and planning that is required by law--we can get ourselves in either a legal or funding issue if all the teachers on a team aren't consistently participating.  Beaverton HAS been doing this in past years by having "roving" subs--subs who are in 1 grade level's room for an hour, then go to another level for the next hour, etc.--and holding the collaboration during school hours.  By doing late start, the district will not spend the 3.7 million on subs set aside last year for this program  They will not have to hire transportation extra.  It will cost the district virtually nothing.  The local daycare and community after school programs are on board, also.  Most of them are planning on shifting their programs so students who already attend will not have extra costs.  

 

Teachers, in order to do their jobs well, are already using the time after school.  Most teachers' contracts state they should be on site for 1 hour after students leave.  This is a very busy time already.  It is already packed with meetings 2 or 3 days a week (grade level teams, IEP's, trainings, parent meetings, after school groups helping students, etc. ).  When they are not in meetings, they are using that time to call or email parents.  I personally get an average of 60 emails to answer in a day--they are time sensitive and cannot be answered after I leave school at 6:00.  

 

The news article, definitely lacked key details that would have made this report more balanced and less of a rumor spreader.  KATU, do a little more research next time.  

It would appear that the Beaverton School District is once again attempting to shove an agenda down the throat of parents, and it is an idea that was already handedly regected by parents the last time it was presented less formally a year or more ago. To ask for more time off for students without negotiating days already scheduled for staff/work days be removed first is irresponsible. I have a child that struggles in school, and I am not convinced that so-called "teacher collaboration" will benefit her in any way. However, the impact felt by students and parents by drastically changing schedules and removing class time will impact the learning of my student and many others. 

I wonder how many people who complain about PERS actually know anything about the system.

 

Just to be clear, the people who got the "sweetheart" deals are already retired. Other than let's say your local football coach in Eugene or Corvallis, those guys will get more then they deserve.

 

But everyone else actually pays into their PERS account. Some get some (at most I have seen in the last 10 years was like 6%) paid into it by the public, but not any more than what Intel pays or Nike. Indeed I think this year the net of the investment was actually negative (-1% contribution to some accounts by municipalities).

 

So no one is going to live off caviar while on PERS. They will be lucky to get Top Ramon.

 

The reason why there is a growing expense is because the baby boomers who filled the ranks of public jobs are all leaving the workforce at once. The bulge went from taxpaying citizen, to non-taxed retiree. Thus while the tax revenue is shrinking, the debt owed to those who are retired is growing. Not necessarily from sweat deals, but from a larger tax footprint on a smaller tax paying population.

 

I know people who have worked public safety for 30 years and will live with their children because with PERS and SS they still could not afford to live alone because of healthcare costs. And they are relatively healthy.

 

Oh and I know one of the few who did get the "sweetheart" deal. Yeah he made enough in retirement to still afford his home and took a vacation every year. Oh wait no he could do that because we went back to work part-time.

 

Even the "awesome" deal is not awesome.

 

I mean really...I huge part of problem is PERS and the reason is simple, politicians agree to sweet heart deals with unions and in exchange get the unions endorsement, campaign donations, and votes, it's other peoples money so it's OK with them. It's the same level of inherent corruption all the way though our system of politics that feeds conflict of interest and it won't change anytime soon.

The schools will never get better until we break the schoolteachers union.  All they want is more money, more benefits and less work.  And it's all "for the children".

Out of the whole school budget does anyone know the exact figure that goes to PERS? I think that is the issue here and until that is "under control" the teachers/school districts will keep holding your children's education hostage.

First, pay for schools.  Don't vote down Option Levies.  Beaverton is typical of all America where citizens want services and don't want to pay for them.  We will all learn someday that there is no free lunch.

 

Second, attacking teachers is like attacking your own kids or your neighbor's kids.  Teachers have a more difficult job than any lawyer, politician, most businessmen, and most other professions requiring a college degree.  Considering teacher's critical importance to our society, I ask, "Why don't we pay them more?"  Maybe the attackers should be like Mitt Romney and pay $20,000 per kid per year for private school.  It is this level of expense, or quit your job and home school.  The way I see it, we could double teacher salaries and it would still be a bargain.

Teachers unions are not about the kids. It is all about how much money and benefits the teachers can get for working the least amount of hours.

 

Every day I have more and more disdain for teachers and their selfish attitudes.

The real problem is that the teachers pay and benefits are so high we cant afford them.

Nice of Wheeler to throw the union under the bus when it's the administration pushing for the late start. Teachers I know don't want their instruction time with students to be cut down especially as they are having to implement new common core standards this year. There's plenty of time to meet and collaborate after school and on professional development days since their contracts require them to stay at school for a certain amount of time every day. This is a terrible move for parents to have to deal with logistically as well. As for dropping off the kids at the normal time - who is going to be responsible for supervising all of those students? Bad idea, bad timing, and administrators could be spending their time doing more useful things than trying to push this through.  

We have had this late start Wednesday for 2 years now.  Implemented by the now Beaverton Superintendent, Jeff Rose.  Parents didn't like it when it was started and still don't like it.  The elementary school teachers like it, but I have talked to some of the high school teachers and they don't see the need for it.  When Jeff was in our school district they talked about ways of not burdening the parents if they started this, but it never panned out.  Our kids start school an hour late and if you have to miss work or pay for extra daycare, then so be it.  Fight it if you can Beaverton parents! 

Shouldn't a teacher already know how to teach prior to hiring them?

Well there ya go.  Got to love those teacher's unions.  It was buried in the story but we found it.  Very specific contract language that probably says something along the lines that you shouldn't work more than you have to.  "Teacher Time" is paid time.  I propose that someone post their contract on here so the public can take a look at it.

 

Wheeler said teachers just can't get together and collaborate after school because "there is very specific contract language about teacher time."

I propose that we have year around school, no more than 4 hours a day of learning so these poor teachers can collaborate with other teachers so they can figure out how to teach the children in their classes.  And let us double there salary and keep paying for all those health benefits and retirement so they do not feel under valued, or not taken seriously,,, I sure don't want them to be unprepared to teach my children........or so unhappy with there working conditions that they get burned out........