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I highly recommend that watchdogs become more critical of the unsupervised private contracts that have become a staple of the Bloomberg DOE years. The lack of oversight in dealings with shady groups/individuals has led to fraud and corruption on a level this city has never seen before. This is causing the city financial problems and burdening tax payers…stop blaming teacher’s pensions!

Even if corruption and fraud and related overspending are spiraling out of control (and you haven’t offered a shred of evidence to support your stance), it would be a mere patch on the overwhelming size of the looming pension (and guaranteed health care) obligation/underfunding. 

There was another story in the Times the other day about how people are close to incapable of changing their minds regardless of what arguments and evidence are put to them, with the possible exception of when someone they trust is making the argument. So unless Diane Ravitch says this is a serious problem, nobody here is going to agree. Of course Ravitch’s partner has a $100k plus pension, so don’t hold your breath.

The other completely obvious thing that nobody on these message boards will acknowledge is the causal relationship between growth in fixed costs and the charter movement.  We’ve known since at least 2000 that pension sweeteners were going to cause these costs were going to grow at a rate that outstripped revenue.  (The IBO released a report in 2001 estimating that the cost-of-living increase passed in 2000 would add about $800 million in annual expenses by the end of the decade, and that turned out to be fairly accurate.)  Look at a chart of DOE fixed expenses (salary, healthcare, pensions) from 2002 to 2012.  Put it next to a chart of the number of charter schools over that same time.  I believe there were 17 of them in 2002.  How many now?  130?  150?  

When you see how those two charts correlate, you’ll see that there’s a pretty simple explanation about what’s driving the charter movement.  You don’t need to come up with some conspiracy theory about “hedge funds” and “profits” and “ed deform” and Bill Gates.  It’s all out in the open and very obvious.

So if you like layoffs, and you like really high class sizes, and you like school closings, and you like more non-union schools, then by all means, take the position that there’s nothing problematic about the city’s pension and healthcare spending, and you’ll get more of all of those things. 

If “taxpayers”, a group which happens to include teachers, don’t like the cost of having public schools, then by all means, shut them down now.  Let all the “taxpayers” take the responsibility of educating and housinf their children during the day.
However, the idea that since “taxpayers’” taxes are used for schools allows anyone and everyone to determine the compensation of teachers is ridiculous.  Teachers are employees who negotiate binding contracts to be compensated for their employment.  Whether they are paid in “taxpayer” dollars, coconuts, or beads, a contract is a binding legal document.
“Taxpayers” can easily exercise their legal right to not participate by relocating themselves to another municipality they find more agreeable.  Or express their “taxpayer” opinions through their vote.
But, please, stop blaming teachers for trying to make the best deal they can.  Teaching is a job, not charity work.  Teachers have families, financial obligations (many from the requirements imposed on them by their profession), they pay taxes, send their children to public schools and contribute to the economy.  Same goes for all public workers.  If you can’t afford to pay for it, collect your own garbage, clean your own streets, catch your own murderer, and educate your own child.

“If you can’t afford to pay for it, collect your own garbage, clean your own streets, catch your own murderer, and educate your own child.”
Exactly.  That’s more or less where we’re headed.

Is there a sgred of evidence of underfunding in NY? Pew didn’t seem to think so.

Reading today’s morning post leaves me with two lingering questions: Why is a NY based website about education highlighting a story about a public employee retirement system in Chicago? Why is it generating so many comments from people who appear to have little or no professional relationship with education?

While I’m really happy for the public discussion about education, I would very much prefer for there to be a discussion about pedagogy and school/system leadership right here in New York -or places that can inform discussions on similar issues in New York- than stories about a public employees retirement package. I am grateful that Gotham Schools does stuff like that too (because no one else really does) but I still wonder; what does that Times piece have to do with education here in New York? How does it effect the learning of my students again? Why did a NYC charter donor “highly recommend” reading that piece? Did he think it directly informed the education of NYC students? Did it have something to do exposing what happens in the NYCDOE? 

To the folks who are commenting: Look, we get it. By now, we all get it. You’re angry. As tax payers, you are paying for our salaries, benefits and as much as 98% of our pensions (for those of us who make it that far). You don’t like that we make so much, don’t like that we have a lobby in Albany (and at City Hall for that matter). But you’re in the private sector? I thought that was all about survival of the fittest. Well, as a group, you have to admit that we teachers do seem to be pretty fit. We’ve won raises that have kept up with inflation over the past decade oove the thumb in your eye, when we do give up pension ground, we get things like Labor Day Weekend back as part of our summer vacation (honestly, as I write that, I laughed a little. It’s just too funny).  Sure, during fat times, you folks in the private sector get more pay, more status, more raises and a generally better lifestyle than the average teacher. But during lean times, we do better than you. And while some might remind you that that’s partially why we became public servants, I think I’d just rather remind you that the lean times have been here for a few years now -and they’re not going away anytime soon (VeryBigGrin). So yes, while you’re often up late at night worrying, we do, in fact, collect the same check that we did before the recession began (I mean, honestly, not even a temporary pay or pension freeze! you MUST be upset). Our financial lives have been relatively untouched during this Great Recession, while many of yours have drastically changed. 

But I don’t hear you complaining for the past 5 years when we spent that money in YOUR private sector on things that YOU may well have invested in. Neither does anyone else (honestly, I’d like a thank you for holding up the economy during this past recession. As Travolta once said ‘A thank you would be nice’.

Anyway, I digress. The point is you’re angry and we get it. 

But you have to understand my union isn’t going anywhere anytime soon (neither of them). The NYS constitution (which considers pensions an agreement between state and each individual person) isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. You’re on the hook, folks, and you’re not coming off it. That’s something that you’re going to have to come to accept. What was it that Larry Littlefield once commented? After the government and civil institutions of the city and state all collapse, the pensions will still be paid? Yeah. Something like that). So while you’re here, why not talk about a few things that really matter to students? How about class size? Have the leaders committed to trying to lower classes? Or have they bragged that they’d like to double class size after all the bad teachers have gone (oh my, I can’t stop chuckling. This man is your hero?) Or creating good -no awesome- building and system leaders (something this city is lacking. I currently count one truly great leader at Tweed; and his name ain’t Dennis)? Or how to ensure that parents and teachers are at the table in schools and about schools in the civil discourse? Or things like releasing, publicly, the invalid ratings of teachers -along with their names. Or the parent trigger? (honestly, you folks were much more interesting when you channeled that anger into awesomely humiliating things like that). 

These things at least matter to kids. This business with my pension? You may as well talk about how the sky is blue and you don’t like it.

Anyway, my two cents is this: Many of us who will be collecting those pensions, really don’t care that much what you think of it. I guess you can complain, but there will be people like me bragging about it as you do. r so and pension sweeteners that would anger the least jealous of capitalists. To sh

AWE - (wait for it) SOME!!!!!!!!

That is one Homeric, epic rant! But you missed a chance to really twist the knife for us private sector suckers by adding that you are so cognizant of your own product’s inferiority that you’d never in a million years send your own kids to New York City’s public schools.

P.S. If you honestly can’t see the connection between a supersized urban district’s pension/healthcare obligations leading to a direct diversion of resources from the classroom, and what is happening/will happen in New York City, well, godblessya.

I can assure you, I no longer feel attacked on this topic. Haven’t in a long time.

I will, however, agree with your belief that we don’t have much to agree on about all other issues related to this general subject (except for one: you pay my salary and will (knock wood) pay my pension for the rest of your life).

That’s not meant to be rude. I’m #justsaying