District 6 teachers’ pay well above median income
While taxpayers have to decide whether or not to approve a massive property tax increase, 3A MLO, for District 6, the school board and teachers’ union are locked in a battle over the teachers’ master contract agreement. (I’ve actually read the entire document.) The teachers’ union originally asked for a 10.25% total compensation increase. According to a recent District press release the school board is offering:
- Fully pay the increased cost of teachers’ contribution to their retirement (PERA).
- Fully pay the increased cost of teachers’ health, dental and vision insurance.
- Continue to pay teachers for advancing their own education.
- Increase per-hour pay for non-contract work to $25 per hour from the current $18.
The teachers union will make a decision to accept or reject by October 6.
How much do teachers make right now for their 184 day contract? Roger Fiedler, Communications Director, provided me with the following information in an email:
There are 1,285 teachers in District 6. Of these teachers, 926 receive a total compensation package of at least $40,000. The only teachers whose total compensation package is less than $40,000 are part-time teachers or partial-year teachers (those who will work less than a full contract year because they were hired after the start of school).
To put these figures into context, the median household income in Greeley is $39,438 according to the census. When the Greeley Education Association embraces performance-based pay, I’ll support pay raises. Right now, we endure below average graduation rates, below average standardize test scores and above average teacher salaries.
I’m still waiting for specifics on pay for District 6 administrators.
October 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
[...] it’s been two weeks since I submitted a CORA request for specifics on 27 Greeley Evans District 6 administrators’ total compensation package. [...]
October 13th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I’d like to know how this compares with other districts in Colorado. It seems to me one foundation of a good school system is good teachers. Will our pay attract good teachers? The pay-scale may be too generous or too stingy, but without competitive data I can’t tell.
October 13th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
In a later post I wrote the following:
Finally, an update about teachers’ salaries in District 6. While testifying in front of the Long Term Fiscal Stability Commission on Thursday, the Colorado Department of Education provided commissioners with various statistics about all school districts in Colorado.
Greeley District 6 ranks 11th in the state in average teacher salary at $49,905 (this does not include benefits such as health insurance and retirement both of which are quite lucrative). Districts ahead of us include Aspen, Summit County, Cherry Creek, Littleton, Englewood, Boulder Valley, Westminster, Arapahoe 26 J, Adams 12 Five Star and Mapleton. All of these are either from the Denver/Boulder metro area or wealthy mountain communities with much higher costs of living than Greeley.
I would be happy to pay a great teacher a six figure salary but it must be based on performance and product (student achievement) not longevity nor their own educational advancement. I’m not the only one who thinks K-12 is past due for compensation reform. Check out Separation of Degrees from the Center for American Progress run by John Podesta, Chief of Staff for former President Bill Clinton.
We cannot continue funding a dysfunctional system that serves the adults not the consumers, a.k.a. parents and students
http://blog.amyolivershow.com/2009/10/3a-mlo-update-district-teachers-some-of-highest-paid-in-co/
October 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Amy,
Have you stepped foot in a classroom to see what teachers do? Day in and day out teachers are expected to be more or less parents as well as educators, friends, counselors, and mentors to children. I think they deserve as much money as they ask for.
I personally don’t know any one who gets rich off teaching. I also know of no one who enters the field of education to get rich…they become doctors and lawyers.
I value my children’s education and want the best to educate them.
November 1st, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Ranelle –
Yes I have “stepped foot” in a classroom.
Please read some of my other posts about how teachers should be compensated.