SF School District

Theresa Stehly addresses the School Board about substitute teacher pay

l3wis December 15, 2009 3Comments

Theresa was addressing the SF school board about substitute teacher pay last night. She basically showed the school board the disparity between sub pay and full-time pay. It is pretty shocking.

Three years ago the substitutes here in Sioux falls were getting $80 a day. (Actually it was about 3 and a half years ago) After visiting  with friends that fall who were subbing in the surrounding districts, I discovered that many of those schools were paying more than Sioux Falls. I then called the School board president and inquired about how they determined sub pay for Sioux Falls. I discovered in our conversation, that he was under the impression that subs were represented by SDEA in salary negotiations each spring. I informed him that we were not part of that organization and were not getting periodic pay raises like the teachers.  I also had the same conversation with people in the human resource department. About 2 weeks after those conversations, the substitutes received a letter informing us that we were very important to the district, and that we would be getting a pay raise from $80 a day to $90 a day. This was a wonderful gesture of appreciation from the school district at that time. This fall, at the in-service for the substitutes, the issue of pay rates in our area came up again. Realizing that the area schools were once again paying more than Sioux Falls, and that our substitutes had not had a pay raise in these 3 years, I felt that perhaps conversations with the school board, the superintendent, and Todd Vik would be helpful in bringing about some added compensation. I do appreciate being able to visit with each one of you this fall. After I talked with each one of you, I called the Superintendents and business managers in the surrounding schools, and have compiled the information about sub pay, and 1^st year teacher salaries.    I was very impressed with the way West Central and Tea have worked out a system to pay a higher wage to the substitutes with a South Dakota Teaching certificate.  I also think that those districts that implement a permanent pay increase after 10 or 15 days are wise for rewarding people for their total length of service for the year. I think it is important for the public to understand what a teacher makes each day. I choose the lowest teacher daily rate to make a point that substitutes are stepping in and working to keep the flow of education happening at a bargain price. (My friends who have a $50,000 salary are making $256 a day) As you know, the substitutes have no bargaining power within the school district. I was surprised to learn in my discussions with you this fall that the teachers, nurses, secretaries, cooks, custodians, principals, and support staff of the district are all represented, and protected by unions.  These organized labor groups negotiate pay increases, benefits and employee rights each year. Most of these groups get a cost of living increase annually. I was told that the only groups of workers who did not get a pay increase last year were the substitutes and the seasonal people who mow the lawn. You have many talented, dedicated, hardworking people who are willing to use their education to help the students in our school. They are the substitutes. These people are a vital part of the system and we are entrusting them to educate our students in the absence of the teacher. The substitutes need to be compensated on a regular basis, (Just like the other employees in the school) for their commitment, experience and education.

AREA SUBSTITUTE PAY RATES AND FIRST YEAR TEACHER SALARIES

WEST CENTRAL SIOUX DISTRICT

528-3217

South Dakota Certified substitute—–$107 a day

Non- certified substitute—————–$97 a day

Starting teacher salary– $30,000 # of contract days—176                                                                      starting teacher pay per day –$170

TEA SCHOOL DISTRICT

498-2700

South Dakota Certified Substitute——–$100 a day *($110 after 30 days)

Four year degree substitute———$85 a day *($95 after 30 days)

Non-certified substitute———-$75 a day *($85 after 30 days)

*All three groups get a PERMANENT $5 pay RAISE per day after 15 days of service. All three groups get a SECOND PERMANENT $5 pay RAISE per day after the next 15 days of service.

Starting teacher salary—$28,450 # of contract days—181

Starting teacher pay per day—–$157

HARRISBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT

743-2567

All Substitutes ——-$95 a day

PERMANENT pay RAISE to $110 a day after the first 10 days.

Starting teacher salary—$31,300 # of contract days 180

Starting teacher pay per day——$174

BRANDON SCHOOL DISTRICT

582-2058

All Substitutes—-$85 a day

Starting teacher salary—-$32,767 # of contract days    183

Starting teacher pay per day——-$179

SIOUX FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

All Substitutes—-$90 a day

All substitutes get a TEMPORARY pay increase of $25 for substituting for 5 consecutive days.

Starting teacher salary—-$32,000 # of contract days    188

Starting teacher pay per day——-$170

Finally, a group of parents tell the SF School Board to put up, or shut up

l3wis November 24, 2009 10Comments

While I disagree with this parent group’s intentions (shortening the school year), I agree 100% with putting this issue to a vote. It is blatantly obvious that Homan and the School Board are inept in solving problems and listening to parents.

“We have a right to make decisions about our kids and we want to be heard about it and we want the people we elected to listen to us.” Rhonda Lockwood is one of several Sioux Falls parents who came to the board meeting, armed with 3,000 letters from parents who want the school year to start after Labor Day, saying Sioux Falls kids get short changed out of three weeks of summer time and family time.

Paul Jennings has been following it from the start and says if school is delayed, it would throw off semester testing schedules and potentially hurt kids who are already struggling in school. “If they have to wait 2 weeks after christmas to take their tests, they surely would not be in the passing category.”

Like I said above, I don’t agree with their intentions, Paul is right, kids actually should be in school more instead of less, but I also agree parents should have the right to make that decision, I’ll give these parents credit for being directly involved with their kid’s education.

My new local hero, Sara Green, in reference to book censorship in the SF School District

l3wis November 11, 2009 4Comments

From Stormland TV News;

But the idea of a school completely removing access to a book is troubling to others.

“I don’t like the idea of just taking a book out because someone has an issue with it. Really, that’s more the parents job. I feel that we can look at those with kinds; we can talk about what is in the book. It really shouldn’t be the school job to teach the kids that, that’s a parent issue I believe,” Sara Green said.

Green likens this decision to the Harry Potter books, which were removed from some schools. No matter where parents stand on this most recent book debate, they all agree that parent-student communication is critical.

“I think it’s important for a parent and a child to be open with each other. But it also should be the parents decision to decide what’s best for them,” Giblin said.

“They’re exposed to it whether it’s in the book or not, so maybe it is a good thing to have there for a parent to have that frank discussion with their child to teach them what is and isn’t appropriate about it,” Green said.

Exactly! Why do some parents think they know what is best for other people’s kids?