This is exactly one of the impacts that Act 10 was intended to have.
Though he said it was a difficult decision, he left Lodi for better pay — about $2,000 more in salary, plus better benefits — and he wanted to try working at a bigger school. Teacher salaries in Lodi “had taken a hit” after the Legislature passed Act 10 and weren’t going to get better any time soon, given budget constraints.
Irrespective of whether or not Act 10 hit Lodi’s budget (that has become a reflexive statement even though Wisconsin spends more than ever on government schools), the fact that it is so easy for this teacher to move to another district is also because of Act 10. By enabling a more mobile teacher labor force, Act 10 forces districts to compete for the best teachers. This is not a bad thing. It is a good thing. And you’ll notice, it isn’t always about money.
But a year later, he returned to Lodi for some of the same reasons he left: Monona Grove’s size — it has more than twice the enrollment that Lodi has — meant that he didn’t know most of the students even by the end of the year, and there were larger socio-economic disparities between them. He said he also had some differences in teaching philosophy from his colleagues there.
Act 10 just keeps on winning.
Well……..I read the whole thing, too; my take is that teachers who are unhappy do not ‘feel supported’ by district officials. (The MOST negative remarks came from a WEA rep and a “dean of students” who cannot find personnel. So I discounted their grievances.)
So–for the first time in eons–District and Building management have to work in a “non-union” environment, practically speaking. The old “here’s the book of rules, read it, end of story” style will not work. But gee whillikers, Batman, private industry has been dealing with that for …..decades……successfully.
It’s more a management problem than a worker problem, although the younger teachers are apparently not married to the profession–another interesting wrinkle.
Owen sez: “And you’ll notice, it isn’t always about money.”
Given that “Lodi matched the higher salary Schnell had in Monona Grove to get him to return.” it is obvious said teacher would not have retuned without the monetary bribe, which makes the rest of his complaints, shall we say, duplicitous. Basically, Mr. Schnell returned to Lodi for easier work at higher pay. (FWIW, Mr. Schnell was paid $66,000 in salary in 2017-18 and $27,000 in benefits.)
Indeed, it was poor downtrodden Mr. Schnell who, as the local union president, led the walkout of Lodi teachers in 2011 to protest Act10, causing the closure of Lodi schools.
It’s always about less-work-mo’- money with unionists. The kids be damned.
Sure, just ignore all the teachers who left the field completely, or left the state. And when it comes to health care, you can keep “your” doctor! Nevermind all the families who liked having good teachers who stayed around for a few years. Good school districts are all about the sports stuff that causes people to move their kids to another district, right?
93K for a part-time gig in Mayberry isn’t too bad at all.
That’s it, Merlin, stir up your resentment at what someone else makes! Tell yourself that anyone could do it!
jjf, teachers have left the teaching since teaching started same o amor talking about retirement.
The ones who leave are usually one who can do something useful outside of teaching. Shop teachers, science,math, special ed., administrators and maybe .foreign language teachers.
Those who are more or less have to stay in teaching are language arts, history, music, home economic and gym teachers.
mar:
Nonsense.