Teacher Pay

Here's an article from the BCCT looking at the recent Souderton teacher's strike and teacher pay. The best part of the story are the reader comments.

Thank God that this would never happen here in Morr...

Oh. Sorry. My bad.

Teachers: Pay driving them away

By LOU SESSINGER
Staff Writer

The Souderton Area school board listened impassively as three teachers claimed the board’s rigid stance during the current labor dispute over salary is driving talented teachers to districts willing to pay more — and quality of education in Souderton is suffering.

Speaking during the public comment section of last Tuesday night’s school board meeting, speech therapist Allison Moran said the recent resignation of three of her colleagues, “due to the contract this board has presented,” has reduced the number of full-time district speech therapists to two.

One took a job in Upper Perkiomen and two were hired by Upper Dublin, she said, adding that those who went to Upper Dublin got more money.

“Quality teachers and speech therapists cannot be kept in this district without adequate compensation,” she said.

School district solicitor Jeffrey Sultanik said the board was aware of a trend in which school districts are competing for a limited number of speech therapists.

“The board would be prepared to address this issue by having a different compensation scale arranged for speech therapists,” he said. “Compensation should be determined to a certain extent by supply and demand, and this board is prepared right now to sit down and negotiate a separate compensation scale for speech therapists.

“But you’re shaking your head no because it runs contrary to your concept of unionism, which keeps everybody’s salary at the same level, not withstanding supply and demand,” he added.

Science teacher Christopher Luck said he had a master’s degree, was certified to teach both chemistry and physics, was in his ninth year with the school district and earned $53,600 a year, several thousand dollars less than he would be paid at neighboring North Penn or Pennridge.

He said he has seen many of his colleagues leave Souderton for higher pay elsewhere.

“Do you really want quality teachers to leave?” he asked.

Christine Jackson, a physics teacher with 16 years’ experience, said this year the board’s attitude toward teacher salaries “left us with no choice” but to go on strike or find employment elsewhere.

“We’re disheartened by your lack of respect to teachers and administrators … and your unwillingness to strengthen the district,” she said.

The teachers union went on strike for 15 days at the start of the school year in September.

The school district has offered a three-year contract with pay raises averaging 2.5 percent. The union wants a four-year pact with raises averaging 8.2 percent.

The labor impasse is now in a phase of nonbinding arbitration.