Saucon Valley Teachers Contract Negotiations

First The FactsJim Deegan | The Express-Times : "They've been working under the terms of a contract that expired two years ago and struggling to hammer out a three-year deal that would carry through the coming school year... earning an average $70,000 salary with Cadillac benefits and a generous pension plan for less than 10 months' work... According to the school board's attorney, the teachers want roughly 7 percent raises a year and hands off any changes in health care benefits."

According to Wikipedia, "It serves the borough of Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township. Saucon Valley School District encompasses approximately 20 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 15,490. In 2009, district residents' per capita income was $26,599, while the district's median family income was $59,049."

In 2009 22% of median households earned between $50,000 to $74,999. 36.3% of the population had median household incomes between less then $10,000 up to $50,000.


CommentaryPeople around here tend to think of the Saucon Valley area to be dotted with golf courses, McMansions and upscale shopping. Although they are better off then some other areas, 36.3% of the households are living on less then $50,000. About 32% of them have one or more children. Another source puts the average median household income at $53,807 with 34% of them having one child or more.

For families having children school taxes aren't the only expenses they have when it comes to educating their child(ren). Here are the 2014-2015 school supply lists put out by the Saucon Valley School District .

In My Opinion...
I'm not singling out this school district, but rather using it as an example of how the costs of education have gotten out of hand. Salaries and administrative costs have now come before the basic needs for educating children. Gone are the days schools supplied the paper, pencil, crayons and other educational materials that parents are now expected to pay for in addition to fees, cafeteria food and the required immunization medical costs.

Many employees in what has become the big business in the field of education fail to understand the other side of the financial equation. I believe that to be so in this case just as it is in other districts come bargaining time. The argument isn't whether college degreed educators deserve what ever amount they think they do, as to whether the majority of parents can afford to pay them what they think they are worth.

Public education workers are paid by forcing people (by law) to give up a part of their own earnings to them. There are few other professions in this world that this exists. The vast majority of other professions receive their paychecks dependant on supply, demand and what people are willingly paying for.

I am of the opinion if educators feel their college degrees should be worth more they should consider a more lucrative line of work. Perhaps go back, pick up a few more college credits and change professions. I'm not saying this out of mean-spiritedness.

The majority of public teachers are receiving more money then the professors who taught them in college. The reason is colleges are in competition and optional. No one is forced (by law) to attend or pay for private education. That pretty much summaries the entire problems homeowners and people with children face with our current public education system. When teachers go into contract bargaining it is between they and the government officials we elect. It's a hellva' lot easier to give in and give em' what they want to make the problem go away. Which pretty much explains why we are in the mess we are today.

In the past I've been against privatization of our public schools. Given the rapidly increasing tax bills we are forced to now pay for this government run monopoly on education (whose budgets are always in the red) the time has come to give it some serious consideration.

When it comes time for parents to pay for college they have choices. They can weigh the costs between colleges and what they offer. Perhaps the time has come to give parents some of the controls school unions and government negotiators have concerning what it should cost them to educate their child.

I wish things weren't this way, but it has become obvious public education no longer can provide the most bang for the buck. Not when things get this far out of hand.

See Also:
     Saucon Valley School District School Supply Lists for 2014-2015
     Info & news related to SVSD negotiations
     The 2013-2014 fact finding report between the SVSD and the teachers association (PDF)

"Shown below is the last salary schedule in the expired contract for the school year 2011-2012. It consists of rows or steps, representing up to 14 years of service, and 10 columns that reflect continuing graduate level education."

SOURCE OF CHART: SVSD