By Starla Pointer • Staff Writer • 

Mac teachers will 'walk in' to support school funding

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Comments

Jim

If school districts were more diligent in their spending it would really put more money in the system for the kids. McMinnville School District is so top heavy in administration the costs are killing the amount of money spent on children. When you spend money on fancy buildings and high cost administrators it has no chance of trickling down to the students. Our school district could cut 10 administrative positions and have 30 more teachers. Schools need to look within the system to help themselves.

Don Dix

From the article --“Thirty years of disinvestment have put our schools into crisis, and today is the breaking point for educators around the state,” OEA officials said. “We ask educators, parents and public school families around the state to stand up and stand together for students on May 8.”

The OEA is looking to 'place the blame' on 30 years of school disinvestment. Isn't it ironic that blame coincides with the D majority in the legislature and elected state officials? Eleven times since 1992 the Ds have held the both houses of the legislature and governor's office. The Rs have 8 years holding the legislature (95 - 02), but never the governor's office (during this time).

So, if the OEA had any guts, this would be the proper response -- 'most or all of our problems are directly associated with the D's control of the allocation of state spending'.

The OEA and the Ds have been 'slipping between the sheets forever', so maybe it's time to change the sheets. Pillow talk just may have taken a different direction, which would be quite refreshing. At least, that's the view from here.

By the way, thank you to all the local districts where teachers stayed in class, instead of grandstanding in Salem.

Lulu

Jim is right.

Joel

Damn, Jim. That is spot on!

Bill B

I agree with Don's comment. Jim, I can't speak to administration costs, but I can say I've seen many schools over the years and I don't see any fancy ones around here.

Jim

Bill B go have a look at the Cook School Administration Building and the services buildings both on Lafayette Avenue. My guess between the remodeling costs and the purchase price of the service building they spent those two projects were millions upon millions of dollars between them. Yet the baseball team has been without dressing rooms,indoor toilet facilities and batting cages for 13 years. So if the kids come first this school district isn’t showing me much.

OregonBorn

Not any more money until the runaway train wreck PERS is contained.

If these teachers really cared, they would renegotiate their outdated, underfunded, outrageous retirement benefits.

Otherwise, the teachers are just hypocrites.

Nick

@Oregon Born
Why are the teachers to blame for PERS? They accepted a contract from the state that agreed to give them a pension tomorrow in lieu of higher wages today?
Also, why aren't you including police officers, firefighters and other state employees who receive PERS?
BTW, if you are so envious of state employees who receive PERS, why don't you become a public employee.

OregonBorn

Hello Nick,

Absolutely the PERS disaster is not isolated to teachers. All public unions are to blame for this.

If you don’t agree, you’re either a public union type, or woefully ignorant to the fiscal reality of so many giving so much for so few.

You may not have noticed however, that this article is about teachers.

Teachers make plenty, to include outlandish, underfunded retirement benefits.

Why am I not a public employee?

Please.

Nick

@OregonBorn
Wait, unions are to blame for getting their members a fair deal? If it was a bad deal, then the employers who offered the deal are to blame not the workers.
Tell me, when you drive by a staff parking lot at a school, why isn't full of brand new Merecedes or BMW's?
Again, if PERS and teacher salaries are so great, then why are there so many unfilled vacancies in the state? I'll clue you in, the $38K starting salary won't get you an apartment and $100K student debt isn't so great. But yeah,lets begrudge folks getting a retirement they can live off and not be a burden to the state when they are too old and frail to work.

OregonBorn

Hey Nick,

You must be new to Oregon.

Welcome.

Perhaps you’re unaware of the history of PERS, or you’re a member and just don’t care. Because, hey, you got yours so that’s all that matters. If I’m wrong, look it up. It’s irrelevant anyhow, because PERS is literally bankrupting the state, and underfunded public employees pensions are bankrupting the country. It’s true fella, just type that little factoid into Google and educate yourself.

Why should public union employees get gold plated health benefits, Cadillac retirement benefits, AND competitive pay, while the rest of us have to figure it out and pay our fair share?

I’ll wait for the response on that one.

Thank Salem, and their constituents (public unions) who basically bought the governor. If you were unaware, Oregon is the MOST corrupt state in the country. Feel free to Google that factoid as well.

The reason there is so many openings in the state and local levels is because the economy is booming, the unemployment rate is

Oregon1

Jim: This is about education, not lack of batting cages.

Jim

Oregon1 you are right it’s about education! Sports are as big of part of some children’s education as math,English or any other class they take. This school district “supposedly “ prides themselves in a total education for every student. I’m sorry to say it’s not happening in this school district.

Jim

Oregon1 I decided I’d give you a little statistic about Sports and Education . 90% of the CEO’s of Fortune 500 company’s were involved in Athletics. That’s men and woman at about the same percentage .

Lulu

Whenever I hear "It's all about the kids," I want to scream.

Mike

I volunteered for years at Mac High. The teacher I helped dealt with around 150 students a day, classes of 35 or more at a time. She spent her own money on supplies and she came in on her own time. Her dedication was inspiring. I'm sure those of you who are so disgusted have volunteered at a school and know up close how the school wastes money and why the teachers should be paid poorly and not have a good retirement package. That is not to say there are a few PERS recipients, like million dollar university coaches and some doctors who get outrageous retirement. All of the clerks and drivers and line workers have to worry if their retirement is going to be taken away.

Stella

Jim's first post was perfect 👍

As Mary Alice Russell drives during lunch with her car's top down around trendy 3rd while taking up an entire grade school with her office ... we are top heavy.

Vote NO for future school bonds. It's not about more $ - it's staying at the top anyway

OregonBorn

Mike,

Why should they be different? Everyone has to worry about such things. Yet, our benefits don’t bankrupt the state.

So you’re suggesting that public union folks are more important than everyone else, even though everyone else is supporting them?

Really?

Never have so many, given so much, to benefit so few.

PERS and outrageous benefits must be contained.

No more taxes until it happens.

Mike

OregonBorn. I come from blue collar working folks, mill workers. There used to be unions and working stiffs who hung together to better their situation, because mill owners were selfish and greedy. The past several decades the owners have been able to demolition most of the unions in this county. And they blame the unions for asking for too much. Just as you are doing. Rich are getting richer. Poor are getting poorer. Unions public and not public are seen as evil and money grubbing. I guess you think the rich should continue to accumulate more and more while us working stiffs take less and less. You are entitled to your opinion. The rich and powerful appreciate your enthusiasm.

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